PUPILS from Shapwick School have visited two sea rescue charities.

Shapwick Year 10 students visited Burnham RNLI station and the Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB) facility after raising £1,002 with a sponsored walk from Glastonbury Tor back to their school.

The fundraiser was organised by Dan Burnett, a teacher at the specialist school.

Youngsters were given opportunities to try on rescue gear, and sit in and on the various rigid inflatable boats and tractors used by the RNLI.

Lifeboat operations manager Matt Davies told the Mercury: “Shapwick School has visited us regularly over the years, and despite our present lack of a lifeboats visits officer the crew and fundraisers pulled together to make this a successful visit.”

Lifeboats press officer Mike Lang said: “We desperately need a visits officer in order to keep up with a busy school and education visits schedule.

“Burnham lifeboat station is ideally placed to accommodate this initiative, and interested RNLI supporters should make themselves known at either the lifeboat shop or at one of our regular Wednesday evening training sessions.”

Both the RNLI and BARB are in need of funds to keep their stations in a good state of operation, and are grateful to the Shapwick fundraisers and Mr Burnett for raising their contribution.