Thames lifeboat crew launch charity appeal

Crew members from a River Thames lifeboat station are aiming to raise around £400,000 in order to replace two of their ageing boats.

Volunteers from the Tower lifeboat station at Victoria Embankment in Westminster are taking part in the five peaks challenge' this June, raising money to buy two E Class lifeboats, which cost around £200,000 each.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution station currently has two boats but they may need to be replaced in the next two years.

Laura Kerr, spokesman for the Tower lifeboat station, said: "The boats we have are eight years old and may need replacing in the next couple of years.

"In the last eight years, the crews on these two boats have saved 183 lives. The people who man our boats do incredible work and now they are going to go to extraordinary lengths to raise huge sums of money to buy new boats."

Mrs Kerr said five crew members are now hoping to raise around £30,000 by completing the "five peaks challenge", which involves climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Mount Snowdon, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, and Carrantuohill in the Republic of Ireland.

She added: "The five crew members doing this are all from varied walks of life but are committed to raising money that will go towards these vital additions to the RNLI fleet in London.

"All the people who work on these boats are volunteers and it is important that people recognise the incredible work these people are doing to keep people in the capital safe."