A RESCUE service which has been operating around Southampton for more than 50 years has received a financial boost. 

Solent Rescue has been providing land and maritime rescue services since it was founded in 1971. 

The charity is run entirely by volunteers who work to ensure the area's waterways are safe including at Lepe Country Park which sees half a million visitors each year. 

But now the rescue service has received a cash boost after being awarded £10,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund. 

The largest funder of community activity in the UK, the National Lottery raises over £30 million each week for good causes and in the last 12 months has given out nearly £600 million to 12,500 organisations.

READ MORE: Teens rescued after catamaran dis-masted in the Solent

Lee Cooper, 35, from Southampton, has been volunteering with Solent Rescue for more than 15 years. 

He said: “You put a huge number of hours into training and maintaining the vessels, but it takes that one incident of saving someone’s life that makes it all worthwhile.

“This funding from the National Lottery is absolutely vital, without grants like this we wouldn’t be able to operate and with the increase in running costs, we wouldn’t be able to sustain the service.

"We would like to thank all National Lottery players who help to keep our unit on the water and save people’s lives.”

Solent Rescue is one of 340 charities and community groups across the South East to have been awarded almost £10 million of National Lottery funding over the last three months.

Helen Bushell, senior head of regional funding for London, South East and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this vital funding will have a huge impact on people’s lives across the South East.

"Our funding plays a big role in helping communities to unleash their potential and it is great to see groups like Solent Rescue making a positive difference and continuing to support people in their communities.”

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