Bristol Channel RNLI announces fundraising appeal

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in North Somerset says it needs to raise nearly £500,000 to upgrade its services in the Bristol Channel.

The charity is working to adopt the neighbouring Portishead Lifeboat Trust and needs to build a new lifeboat station to house a modern lifeboat.

It estimates a new boathouse in the marina will cost about £180,000.

In Weston-super-Mare, the RNLI moved into its station in 1902 and expects to spend £300,000 updating facilities.

"We don't yet know how much the new boathouse at Portishead is going to cost because we are in the tendering process right now, but a modern facility like this doesn't come cheap," said Nigel Jones, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager.

"We also know that we are going to have to make changes at Weston-super-Mare in the future."