A LIFESAVING rescue team needs to raise more than £17,000 for a new lifeboat.

The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), based on the River Severn, needs to replace one of its lifeboats at its station in Beachley near Chepstow.

After 15 years of helping to save lives, the SARA Three is coming to the end of its life.

The station estimates the boat, which is used in shallow water, will cost between £25,000 and £30,000 to replace.

The crew has already raised around £7,5000 in the last nine months through donations but it needs the support of people, groups, organisations and particularly local businesses and corporate sponsors to help raise the rest.

The boat is also used every week for the crew’s training.

Crew member David Thompson said: “It’s really for our safety that we need to replace it and so we can do our job properly.”

He said: “Whatever people sponsor us goes to saving people’s lives for the next 15 years.

“For everyone we rescue, there is 100 people affected for the rest of their lives.”

Eight crew members are also doing their bit to raise funds by each pledging to raise around £1,000 by taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in September.

This will see the eight men climbing the three highest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales in just 24 hours.

The combined heights of the peaks is over 11,000 feet and the mileage between the mountains is around 500 miles.

Anyone wanting to donate or who is interested in sponsoring the crew, please see www.everyclick.com/sarathree-peaks-challenge or call the station on 0844 8460226.