THE Evesham Ladies Lifeboat Guild is to fold next month because of a shortage of committee members.

The guild was formed by its president, Peggy Burlingham, 33 years ago, and has raised many thousands of pounds.

Mrs Burlingham said: "They asked me to set it up, but I never discovered why. The area manager just arrived on my doorstep and said she'd been given my name. They were setting up guilds in various counties and towns. Lifeboatmen had always been in my thoughts and heart and because I had the time I agreed."

Mrs Burlingham built up an enthusiastic team who have held coffee mornings and many other events over the years. But members are getting older, and younger women do not have the time to take on committee responsibility, so they have decided that the next coffee morning will be the final event.

"It's very sad, but it is inevitable," added Mrs Burlingham.

James Bradbury, area organiser of the RNLI, told the Journal: "This is a general problem across volunteer groups to find people to take on the chairman's role.

"But it is not all doom and gloom. I am hoping to set up a branch in Evesham, which will be open to men and women. It is unusual to have a guild in a town. They sprang up around the coast. The men were out at sea, and the women raised the money.

"But women have a lot less free time these days and, of course, they go out on the boats now. A working woman is under the same pressure as a working man.

"I would like to record my thanks to the ladies of Evesham for all they have done over the years. I do not intend to let the town go for too long without a presence, though, and I hope that some of them will stay with us."

Earlier this year the Pershore Ladies Guild of the RNLI merged with Upton on Severn and the Broadway Guild is now very small.

The Evesham Guild's final coffee morning will be held at the Evesham Hotel in Coopers Lane on Saturday November 9 between 10.30am and 12 noon.

Admission is £1, to include coffee, and stalls will include tombola, cakes and raffle.