RAIN certainly didn’t stop Salisbury, Wilton and District RNLI fundraisers from making waves this spring, with volunteers hauling in more than £4,000 across a string of community events.

From sea shanties in Salisbury city centre to soggy collections in Wilton, branch members say residents have shown “amazing generosity” despite the difficult economic climate.

The biggest splash came during the RNLI’s annual Mayday Appeal in Salisbury’s Guildhall Square at the end of April when crowds were entertained by sea shanty groups The Navy Larks and Catch of the Day.

Alongside bucket collections and the RNLI retail shop, visitors also got hands-on water safety advice from the Mudeford Lifeboat Station team, who demonstrated how to stay safe while swimming at the beach.

Together, the event raised nearly £2,000.

Catch of the Day entertain visitors to the city centre.

Earlier in the month, volunteers braved torrential weekend downpours at Wilton House Garden Centre, collecting more than £1,060 despite miserable weather conditions.

Then, at Downton’s popular Cuckoo Fair over the bank holiday weekend, supporters helped raise almost another £1,000 before heavy rain finally forced the event to close early.

Matthew Sykes, chair of the branch, praised both volunteers and the public for their efforts.

“We would like to thank everyone who contributed over these three events,” he said.

“We have raised nearly 40% more for the RNLI so far this year compared to 2025 due to the support from the local community.

“We have a hard-working group of volunteers and this generosity by our fellow citizens makes it all worthwhile.”

The branch is now looking for more volunteers to join its Collection Crew, with Mr Sykes encouraging anyone able to spare “a couple of hours every couple of months” to get involved.

Next on the RNLI fundraising calendar is the annual collection at Salisbury Racecourse on May 14.