Alan chips in Kind-hearted chip shop owner Alan Smith threw a lifeline to Kessock lifeboat in October when he donated an entire day's takings from his branch of Harry Ramsden's in Inverness. Alan hasn't forgotten that he owes much of his livelihood to fishermen and the lifeboat crews that go to their rescue. He netted over £2,000 from sales one Sunday and donated the lot to the station as a big thank you. He even threw in fish suppers for the crew.

He said: 'I discussed it with the crew and offered them the proceeds from the sale of fish and chips. We sold 600 fish suppers and giving them the cash is a gesture of my gratitude and respect. I hope this will encourage other businesses to back these men and women who give their time and effort every week for a cause that can sometimes be taken for granted.' Kessock Branch Chairman Campbell Ross said:'We approached Harry Ramsden's for a small donation but were overwhelmed at their response. It gives us a real lift when we receive this kind of recognition.'_Jhree of the bes Fundraising stepped up a gear in Berwick and the Borders one October weekend with a trio of money-spinning events.

Activities kicked off with a Virgin Vie make-up party at the Black Bull in Ayton that raised over £360. The event was hosted and organised by Kirsti Avril, wife of Berwick crew member Michael Avril.

Crew wives helped with the raffle and lifeboatmen Kevin Knox and John Swan found themselves volunteering for a very different role to help raise funds. There was an excellent make-up demonstration that did leave one poor chap wishing he hadn't bought a raffle ticket. However, he took it in good fun and even used a straw for his pint so he didn't smudge his lippy! The following morning was a more traditional affair when the local ladies guild held a busy coffee morning in the Guildhall. The weekend's grand finale saw two rather unusual cabaret evenings held in the cellar of a local car showroom. The show, After Dark, was written especially for the Mayoress's charity in support of the Berwick and Seahouses lifeboat stations and proved to be a tremendous success. Berwick lifeboat launcher Martin Warner joined the cast that included nurses from the local hospitals, membersof the local emergency services and The Rubbish Band.My hero! Children's favourite Stormy Stan touched the hearts of these two little girls during a branch collection at South Mimms services on a sunny August weekend. Stan and the Sea Safety roadshow joined volunteers from Potters Bar, Enfield, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Finchley, Stanmore and North Chingford branches, who collected a whopping £3,400. RNLI Greater London region would like to thank Patrick Newton, Deputy Manager of Welcome Break Services at South Mimms, for allowing the RNLI to collect there, as well as our volunteers who did sterling work over the bank holiday weekend.A brush with good fortune A chance sighting of a treasured family boat spurred Anthony Sayer, Chairman of the St Helen's branch, into raising funds for the Lifeboats. Anthony grew up with the boat, Confide, in his family until she was sold in 1974. He had never expected to see her again but, following a lucky sighting in 1995, he decided to commission marine artist Adrian Thompson to paint her picture as a retirement treat.

He was so delighted with the result that he looked into selling prints in aid of the RNLI. Thanks to the generosity of Poplar Services Printers Ltd, 500 signed and numbered limited edition prints were produced. Over £900 has been raised from sales so far and orders are still coming in.

There are 426 prints remaining, which will raise a further £5,325 if all are sold, so why not indulge yourself or a friend and help save lives at sea? The prints are priced at £12.50 each plus £2.50 for postage and packaging.

There is a maximum of four prints per order and cheques and postal orders should be made payable to RNLI. Please send your order to: Mr P Boyle, 2A Park Avenue, Eccleston Park, Prescot, Merseyside. Please allow 28 days for delivery.Queensferry's lifeboat open day in August 2003 was blessed with good weather, helping to raise £1,300 for the RNLI.

Entertainment on the day included a rescue demonstration by Queensferry's Atlantic 75 The Duncan and Ethet MacRae, a pipe band, various dancing troupes, shows for the kids and face painting. There were also plenty of interesting stalls to enjoy, one of the most popular being Evie's catering corner that gave visitors stunning panoramic views of the Forth Bridge as they tucked into refreshments.Carol remembered On a somewhat sadder note, Queensferry crew members also received £810 in August from the family of Carol Anne Douglas.

Carol tragically died from deep vein thrombosis following an aeroplane flight abroad. She was an enthusiastic lifeboat supporter so her family decided to have a collection for the station at her memorial service.Ferry good idea Chris Carter and wife Marissa hit on a great fundraising idea in April when Chris took part in a non-stop race around Great Britain, aboard the ex BT Global Challenge yacht Spirit of Southampton.

Chris and Marissa decided to organise three passenger ferries to allow supporters to watch the race start at Cowes and follow the fleet down the Solent.

A donation to the RNLI was pledged from ticket sales and interest was so good that Chris and Marissa were able to later a hand a £500 cheque to Colin Singer, Chairman of RNLI Warminster and Westbury branch. Congratulations go to Chris and the team of Spirit of Southampton who also finished the race in second place - another excellent result!Win a trip for two on the Orient-Express The grand prize for the spring 2003 lifeboat lottery is a trip on the world's most celebrated train, the Venice Simplon Orient-Express. The glamorous carriages, sumptuous cuisine and personal service will make your journey unforgettable. But this is not all - the trip also includes a three-night stay in Venice, allowing you time to leisurely explore this unique city before catching your flight back to London. This superb prize is kindly supported by Thomson Cities and Short Breaks. The winner will also enjoy a VIP tour of a London lifeboat station (operations permitting).

As well as a chance to win this great prize, you could also win one of eight cash prizes ranging from £100 to £1,000. Spring lottery tickets are available from 19 January. If you would like to receive tickets please contact Pauline on 01202 663219 or [email protected] Photos: Venice Simplon Orient- Ex press First prize supported by Thomson Cities and Short Breaks Autumn lottery winner Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Higgs, from Dorset, who won first prize in the autumn lottery - a brand new Peugeot 307 S 1.4, kindly donated by Peugeot.

Congratulations also go to the following cash prize winners: £1,000 - Mrs EH Lee, Surrey £500 - Mrs C Drucker, Essex £250-MrQJBGillion, Devon £100- Mrs B Marvin, Surrey; Mrs J Howard, West Sussex; Mr R Meller, Nottingham; Mr LA Pyatt, Hertfordshire; and Miss E Spencer, London.Dinner with a difference Pam Rhodes entertains guests during the gala dinner at Keele University Journalist and broadcaster Pam Rhodes entertained over 100 lifeboat supporters during a gala dinner at Keele University, North Staffordshire in October 2003.

Guests enjoyed a delicious three-course meal. Their dinner reservations and a raffle helped to raise over £2,000 on the night.

Longstanding lifeboat supporter Pam, who was married in August 2003, was accompanied by husband Richard and told many interesting and amusing anecdotes about her life as a broadcaster. The evening was a great success and guests gave their congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple.We skied Everest! Forty skiers and snowboarders managed to 'ski Everest' in September 2003 to raise sponsorship money for Llandudno lifeboat.

Don't worry: it wasn't as dangerous as it sounds. Participants actually skied or snowboarded down the open-air ski slope in Llandudno 47 times - a distance equal to the height of Mount Everest.

The three-day event saw skiers and boarders of all ages come from as far away as Anglesey, the Midlands and north west England. Lifeboat crew members and the RNLI Area Fundraising Manager attended each evening and one crew member was especially popular with the youngsters as he skied in his crew gear. The event, which commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, was the brainchild of guild member Bill Wright who was also instrumental in instigating the building of the ski centre. Llandudno guild and crew would like to thank Ski Llandudno for the use of their facilities and hope that the event will become regular.Winning fundraisin An excellent way for branches and guilds to raise money within their community is to encourage other clubs, businesses and individuals to do a fundraising event for their branch or guild. Here is an example of how teamwork between two organisations can pay dividends Perranporth rowathon RNLI lifeguards and Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club worked together to hold a sponsored rowathon with a difference. The non-stop, 48-hour event was a virtual tour of the Cornish coastline, raising more than £1,000 to be shared equally between the RNLI and the club.

Club members, together with other willing volunteers, embarked on the 268 mile row - the same distance as a tour around the Cornish coastline. In total they actually achieved over 373 miles but they didn't even have to get their feet wet as the row took place in a local hotel using ultra-modern rowing machines. The club's oldest member Trevor Miners (76) started the row on 17 May 2003, with the last leg of the event completed on the following day by the club's youngest member, eight-year-old Andrea Pearson.

Perranporth is one of many beaches covered by RNLI lifeguards. Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club, which is itself a charity, works closely with the RNLI to promote beach safety. RNLI Beach Lifeguards Communications Manager Steve Instance said: 'We work very closely with Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club in our operations on the beach and this was a fantastic way for us to work together to help raise much needed funds.'Thanks, Leeds In the autumn 2003 issue we ran an article about a one-third scale model of a Mersey class lifeboat that has helped raise over £300,000 in collections over the years. What we didn't mention was that Leeds branch Chairman Neville Strothard and Secretary Richard Whincup, with the support of their branch, have been instrumental in the care and loaning of this unique model since 1995. Thanks to their efforts the lifeboat will live on to raise more funds for the RNLI..