A musical night supported by community-spirited villagers has helped raise vital funds for the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA).

Chepstow Town Band members Elaine Jones from St Arvans and Jim and Annie Kirk of Woolaston organised and ran a recent Oktoberfest event in St Arvans Memorial Hall.

With music by the Oompah Lumpahs the aim of the musical extravaganza was to help SARA raise much needed funds for a new shed to house the tractor for launching rescue craft.

The Oktoberfest was a huge success raising over £1,700 for the SARA project, with Tudor Brewery provided the bar and also helping to sponsor the event.

Co-organiser Elaine Jones said: “The Oktoberfest was attended by over 80 people, who all had a great time and very generously donated to help SARA.”

At the cheque presentation Brian Oxenham of SARA explained that the present tractor has come to the end of its life and that they have a new purposely marine modified tractor on order. It will be used to launch and recover SARA 1, the large RIB lifeboat.

But the new tractor requires it's own shed to protect it from the elements.SARA have the land for the new structure at the Sedbury slipway under the M48 Severn Bridge and now they just need to get it built.

Nadine Ikin of SARA said that £1,743 raised by Elaine, Jim and Annie, was a huge boost to the funds required for the new shed.

SARA is a volunteer search and rescue organisation which supports the emergency services. The 200 SARA volunteers operate Inshore Lifeboats and conduct Search and Rescue operations on land and water, covering a wide area around the River Severn. They are called out over 100 times every year.

SARA operates seven Lifeboat Search & Rescue stations..