A SCHOOLGIRL has traded in her birthday presents and is instead calling for donations to be made to a lifeboat crew.

Lola Barron didn't ask for toys for her birthday this year.

Instead, the six-year-old wants people to make donations to Calshot RNLI to support those saving lives at sea.

Lola, who lives in the Calshot area, was welcomed to the station by the crew and given a VIP tour.

READ MORE: Lifeboat station welcomes first visitors since start of pandemic

Volunteers, Damian Lester, Kelley Leonard and Daniel Reeve, even showed her the boats.

Just as her visit was finishing, the pagers sounded, and the crew launched Calshot’s relief Atlantic 85 B Class lifeboat to rescue two paddleboarders in difficulty just off Calshot Castle.

Lifeboat visits officer, Justyn Leonard said: "We’re always grateful when people choose to give money to us, especially in the current economic climate.

"It’s even more humbling when someone of Lola’s age chooses to donate to us instead of receiving birthday presents."

Volunteers at the RNLI provide 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

There are a total of 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

The organisation depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service.

In March, staff and children from Fawley Infant School became the first group to tour the Calshot RNLI complex since the start of the pandemic. 

They learned about the role of the RNLI and viewed some of the equipment used on life-saving missions.

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