ONE OF Britain's biggest supermarket chains has given £4,000 to a group of Hampshire life-savers.
Money from the Morrisons Foundation has enabled the Lepe-based Solent Rescue to buy new first aid supplies and the latest type of mannequins on which people can practice CPR.
The donation will allow life-saving training to take place despite the huge drop in income suffered by the charity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fundraising officer Wayne Monks said: "Solent Rescue Independent Lifeboat are extremely grateful to the Morrisons Foundation for this grant, which has come at a time where most of our funding activities have stopped due to Covid-19.
“This grant will enable us to continue to provide medical aid to members of the public.
"The training mannequins will enable us to train our crew in CPR using the latest model of dummies which will improve the response we can give."
Joe Scargill of the Morrisons Foundation added: “We were delighted to visit Lepe Country Park and speak to Wayne about the great work Solent Rescue do.
"As an entirely voluntary service the charity relies on public donations to ensure that live-saving missions can be delivered.
"We’re delighted to be supporting them during the time of great need.”
The Foundation was set up by the Morrisons supermarket chain in 2015 and has already donated more than £32m to hundreds of charities in England, Scotland and Wales.
Earlier this year Solent Rescue was giving planning permission to install a larger lookout station at Lepe Country Park.
The Lymington-based National Park Authority (NPA) approved an application to replace a metal-clad container with a longer and taller facility.
Ward councillor Alexis McEvoy supported the application.
In a letter to the NPA she said: “Solent Rescue is a highly-trained, fast response search and rescue unit with the ability to assist on land and sea.
“It has been operating entirely with volunteers for nearly 50 years. It’s a not-for-profit organisation and a vital facility on this part of the coastline.”
Cllr McEvoy said the volunteers needed an uninterrupted view of the Solent and described their current location as “ideal”.
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