A CASH windfall of £5,000 has given a welcome boost to a local charity dedicated to flood and river rescue.

The Upton-upon-Severn unit of the Severn Area Rescue Association has received the money from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales.

SARA, which is the only charity to provide a water rescue service in the Severn and Avon valleys, is among 118 charities that will share a total of £593,823 in the West Midlands.

The Upton SARA unit, made up of trained volunteers, was set up to respond to local need at times of flood.

They recently provided a safety boat and skilled supervision for Transco engineers mending a gas pipe that could only be reached from the fast-flowing River Teme, north of Ludlow.

David Walker, who is chairman of the Upton unit, said inland water rescues were eight times more treacherous than sea rescues.

"It's because of the speed of the water flow and the fact that you have to work in a confined area," he said.

Karen Argyle, manager for the Lloyds TSB Foundation in the West Midlands, said she was delighted to be able to support SARA's work in the first round of grants for 2002.