DOZENS of residents rallied together to raise money for life-saving services in Hamble.

The choir from St Mary’s Church in Warsash put their Christmas jumpers on and sang Christmas Carols to raise money for the Hamble lifeboat.

The group performed at the Jolly Farmer in Warsash on December 19 and raised £268,72 for the lifeboat crew.

Liam Dobbin, fundraising manager at Hamble lifeboat, said: “ I want to thank them all. It was a great evening and we got the community together. Every penny is important for us because we are independent. This money will help us going and save more lives.The support of the community is growing year on year and the more we get the better it is.”

Iain Wilkie, 59, retired, from Warsash, is a member of the choir. He said: “ As a choir we like to go in pubs to spread a bit of Christmas cheer and raise money for charity. This year we wanted to support the Hamble lifeboat. They are independent and the support from the community is vital. They wouldn’t be able to survive otherwise.”

The Hamble Lifeboat, which is run by 25 volunteers, covers 50 miles of local coastline.