Thanks to the generosity of the public, the RNLI volunteer collectors raised a total of £2,336.70 during Flag Week, which ran from July 29-August 3 this year (writes Flag Week co-ordinator Michael Hickling)

Our thanks go to Mr. Alan Davies, Sainsbury's store manager, for allowing us to collect over £900 outside the store between Monday to Saturday. We also collected outside the Mini Mart in New Hedges for a couple of days. Mr. and Mrs. Goldwait made us most welcome and over £390 was raised there.

Father Daniel van Saantvoort, the Abbot of Caldey, kindly gave us permission to collect on the island for a fortnight. Although the boats did not sail every day, over £780 was collected there. The volunteers would like to thank everyone on the island for making us so welcome, particularly Suzanne Bolton who, as usual, looked after our equipment overnight, and the boatman who kindly ferried us across. We appreciate their generosity in doing this.

We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank our dedicated band of volunteer collectors. This year they were: Doreen Mortimer, Anita and Charlie Osborne, Jayne Hughes, Jan Evans, Barbara Pegg, Norah and Arthur Squibbs, Michael Hickling, Chris Moore, Beth McBurnie, Janet Thomas, Margaret and Lewis Day, Colin Jones, David Morgan, Sue Boomhead, Mary Morgan, Kate O'Neill, Sue James, Nicole Evans, Jen Deverson, Siriol Roberts, David Williams, Jill Vickery, Christine Harries, Jan Griffiths, Ray Lowe, Bev Owen, Julie Jenkins, Nikki Lee, Judith Brew, Ann Marsden, David and Janet Evans, John and Liz Brearley, Jocelyn Morris and Julia Dashfield.

Most importantly, we wish to thank all those members of the public who gave so generously, showing how much they value the work of the RNLI, our lifeboat men and women and the lifeguards who patrol our beaches during the summer.