Staff and customers at The Co-operative Food stores in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man took up the challenge of raising £90,000 in 90 days earlier this year, from SOS Day to the end of April.

From a ‘Wear your wellies to work’ theme on SOS Day, through a phenomenally successful rubber duck countertop appeal and lots of local fundraising events, the target was smashed, with a final total of more than £190,000.

The money raised will fund crew training in 2011 at Campbeltown, Kessock, Stornoway, Bangor, Larne, Douglas and Port St Mary lifeboat stations, as well as life jacket maintenance at 24 stations and three daughter boats for the RNLI relief fleet.