THEY are the Hampshire heroes who have saved thousands of lives in the past decades.

Now they are inviting the community to come together and celebrate a major milestone.

Hamble Lifeboat will celebrate its 50th birthday next month and the crew is inviting residents to celebrate by taking part in an event at its lifeboat station on September 8.

Tours of the station and a rescue demonstration will also be held during the event that will run from noon to 4pm.

Liam Dobbin, coxswain and fundraising manager, said: “We are inviting as many people as we can, all those who helped us during the years, those who have donated. We’ll have at least six people who have been rescued in the past couple of years and we are hoping for more.”

During the day residents will be also given the chance to see the equipment used by the crew and enjoy lots of cake to celebrate.

“We’ll show all the equipment we have bought in the past years thanks to their money. The community has been vital, without the community spirit and funding we wouldn’t survive,” Mr Dobbin said.

“We want to thank everyone for what they have done and show them what we have achieved with their money.”

The Hamble Lifeboat, which is run by 25 volunteers, covers 50 miles of local coastline including areas such as the central Solent, Southampton water and all connected rivers and was funded by Hamble resident Nick Robinson.

The crew is also launching a fundraising campaign in a bid to raise £500,000 by 2024 to buy a new boat.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/hamblelifeboat.