STEETON is many miles from the sea but its singers have been raising money to save the lives of sailors.

Steeton Male Voice Choir has handed over the proceeds of its third concert this year in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Members presented a cheque for £1,000 to the charity, representing proceeds at a concert at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton, during the summer.

The Polperro Fishermen’s Choir travelled from Cornwall to perform at the same concert.

Rowena Hodgson, president of the Bradford and Baildon RNLI branch, went along to a choir rehearsal with chairman Martin Chappellow, who was dressed in the waterproof gear of the lifeboat crew.

Steeton choir spokesman Eric Parker said: “It is with great pride that the Steeton Male Voice Choir has been associated with helping to raise money and awareness for the RNLI.

“We have had two tours to the east coast this year, first to sing with the Dalesman Male Voice Choir for the Whitby RNLI Lifeboats, raising £648.

“We performed at St George’s Church, Cullercoats, with the Newcastle Male Chorus raising over £1,000 for Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade.

“The Life Brigade were celebrating their 150th year of service as a sea rescue, and pre-date the formation of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute."

Mr Parker said the link with the RNLI explained why one of the new songs in the choir's repertoire for this year, I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside, had been so well received by both choristers and audiences.

He said the local connection with lifeboats dated back to the time when Bradford’s wool merchants provided rescue facilities for the many ships bringing wool from as far away as Australia to Peru.

Mr Parker said the RNLI’s Bradford and Baildon branch was now raising funds for a tractor and cradle for the new lifeboat at Scarborough.

Work is due to begin on a new boathouse, which will replace the existing building on Foreshore Road, and will be home to a new £2 million Shannon-class lifeboat.

The choir will perform its annual concert at King’s Hall, Ilkley, on Saturday at 7.30pm.

Mr Parker promised a “real local evening entertainment” provided by the choir and its guests, the City of Bradford Brass Band.

He said: “We have been steadily building up the number of choristers for our concerts. We will be close to 70 strong on the evening.

“King’s Hall seats around 440. We have had full houses for a good number of years and I have no doubt this year will be the same.”

Tickets cost £10. Email tickets@steetonmvc.co.uk or call 01274 598221 to book.