River rescuers get £20,000 grant

The team will get a new lifeboat shelter and maintenance facilities

The Severn Area Rescue Association (Sara) has been given £20,000 to improve its base in Monmouthshire.

The money from Gloucestershire County Council will pay for a secure lifeboat shelter, a boat maintenance facility, storage and a new operations room.

It will also fund a new training room and visitor facilities at Beachley, near Chepstow, to raise public awareness of river safety.

The aim is to quicken response times and help provide better equipment.

Sara has rescue stations at Sharpness, Beachley and Wyre Forest and provides round-the-clock services on rivers and estuaries of the Severn, Wye, Usk and Avon.

Educational value

Executive chairman Alan Stanley said: "This funding will definitely be filling a need, enhancing the station by bringing everything under one roof.

"At present we have to keep one vehicle at the Ferry Inn car park and the other one at the police station in Tutshill, which is obviously not the best solution.

"It will also have educational value as we will be inviting members of the public, especially youngsters for water safety talks and giving them examples of the sort of work that we do."

County councillor for Tidenham, Brian Thornton, added: "The new facilities will make a significant improvement to the response time that Sara is able to provide and will give the organisation the all-important training for the public."