Kind donations from residents helped keep a village lifeboat charity afloat last year as they announced more than £20,000 had been raised in 2014.

The Bourne End-branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution announced that house collections has been raised by 13 per cent, while pub and shop charity boxes had seen a 38 per cent increase on donations from 2013.

In total the village RNLI raised £20,475.34 in 2014 and media officer Linda Prager said that the group would like to thank all their helpers, supporters and the wider-community for their help and support.

The RNLI offers an on call 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around the UK and Ireland, and provides lifeboats, lifeguards, safety advice and flood rescue.

The next AGM for the Bourne End RNLI will be held at the village Community Centre on April 9, at 7.30pm, and organisers say all members and supporters are welcome.

Collections are also ongoing and they will next be out and about in Beaconsfield Sainsbury’s, in Maxwell Road, on Friday, April 10, and the following day.

House to house collection will also be taking place during the week commencing May 11.

Ms Prager said: “The street collection will be on 16th May during which we will be supporting the RNLI's new initiative of Yellow Wellie pin badges and “May Day”, the idea being to capitalise on the dual meaning of May Day at sea and the May 1.”

In other news, the group have also announced that Di Spokes is the new Branch President.

For more information, visit www.rnli.org