CARRY on fundraising - that’s the watchword of four devoted RNLI supporters who have vowed to keep going despite a ban on house-to-house collections.

Ron Rose, publicity officer and secretary for the Highworth and District branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, revealed earlier this year the charity had banned its members from carrying out door-to-door collections, which they feared was likely to hit their fundraising efforts hard in the coming years. However the town’s residents have stuck by the fundraisers and bolstered their coffers with £750 in just one day.

Ron said: “We’ve exceeded our £5,000 target this year, collecting just over £6,000, but in 2017 we’re going to have to think of new ways to raise money.”

The ban, which comes into effect in January, was introduced by the RNLI after the death last year of Bristol poppy seller Olive Cooke. A report by the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) included the inquest verdict that the 92-year-old took her own life, but added that the ‘almost uncontrollable’ tide of begging letters from charity that she received played a role in causing her to feel distressed and powerless.

The FSB and a select committee of MPs then asked all charities to tighten their methods of seeking donations, with the RNLI deciding to ban house-to-house collections and to give donors the option of choosing whether or not to be contacted.

Ron said: “Of course we understand the reasons for the ban, and we’re always careful to follow the rules. In a small community like Highworth we collect in our own areas, on our own streets, so we know most of our donors and there’s a big social element to our calls.

“But we appreciate that the situation needed to be looked at, and now we just have to think of other ways to raise money.”

Ron pointed out that while the local branch raised 40 per cent of its money - £2,500 – from house-to-house collections this year, the rest came from donations, bucket collections in big stores and on street corners, and from sales of merchandise.

He said: “The people of Highworth and district have always been very generous, and they never pass us by: last week we were at the Co-op and we raised over £750.”

He added: “The local supermarkets are very good in allowing us to collect, and we’ve even had people queueing to give us money and to have a chat. People seem to want to give to us, and if they haven’t any cash they’ll often go back to the car to fetch some, or put their trolleys back and give us the pound coin you need to get one.”

Meanwhile the fund-raising continues with the branch’s Christmas Raffle coming up soon. Ron says: “We’ve already asked lots of local shops and firms if they’d like to donate a prize, but if anyone else has something to donate then we’d be very grateful to receive it.”

To donate a raffle prize please call Ron on 07759 439480.