A SCHOOLBOY put his best foot forward to help keep a member of his local lifeboat crew safe during missions.

Jamie Young, 12, of Roker, Sunderland, raised £250 for the city’s RNLI volunteers by doing a seven-mile sponsored walk from his home to South Shields.

In the previous two years Jamie, a Year 8 pupil at St Aidan’s Comprehensive School, raised £500 for Children in Need by undertaking similar sponsored walks.

He recently visited the volunteers as they were preparing for a training exercise and got the chance to try on the safety equipment that helps keep the crews warm and dry during rescue missions.

This year volunteers have been equipped with £350 lifejackets that are lighter weight and easier to wear lifejackets.

Volunteer crewman Sam Clow said: ‘We are all extremely pleased to receive this donation from Jamie and were pleased to be able to thank him personally for taking the time and effort to support our charity.

“His donation alone will almost single-handedly offset the cost of providing a volunteer with a lifejacket, which is a vital part of any crew’s safety equipment.”

Fundraisers and crewmen will be collecting outside the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day before the Manchester City match. The RNLI relies on donations and legacies for its funding.