SOUTHAMPTON boat owners have donated more than £5,000 to charity, after being granted a "Boating Bonus".

As lockdown eased began to ease and everyone was able to get back on the water, MDL Marinas in Southampton offered its berth holders and annual dry stack customers a 50% rebate on their April berthing fees.

Berth holders had the choice of having the bonus applied to their account or donating it to either the RNLI or Ocean Youth Trust South - MDL’s two chosen charities - and many berth holders decided to help the charitable causes, with each charity receiving £5,000 and £900 respectively.

Ed Stevens, Area Lifesaving Manager at the RNLI, says: “Because of coronavirus restrictions over the past few months, the RNLI’s usual ways of fundraising have been halted. We are kept afloat entirely by public contributions and we’re always grateful to our donors but now, more than ever, a donation like this will help our volunteer crews continue to save lives. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the berth holders at MDL Marinas for their generosity and for keeping us in mind at this time.”

Mark Todd, Chief Executive of Ocean Youth Trust South added: “We’re so grateful to MDL’s berth holders for their generosity. The money donated will assist us in our endeavours to get more young people out on the water who couldn’t otherwise afford to, changing their lives through sailing on the voyages we offer.”