VRA captain, Phil Dutton, said the big banks of lights were heavy and unwieldy so the lifter was needed for the safety of squad members.

“This donation, along with a generous discount from the Bolt Barn on the lifter, will enable us to serve the community a lot better,” he said.

The money was raised by the Council Staff Goodwill Committee which has held a number of fundraising functions over the past year.

The most recent was a compilation cookbook produced in both hard copy and on disc.

“The cookbook, called ‘Grazing’, was made up of tried and true recipes provided by staff, their families and friends,” Goodwill committee chair Christine Griffin said.

“Council has some fantastic cooks and staff has been raising funds for various good causes for years.

“Many of the recipes were familiar favourites from previous fundraising morning teas and lunches.”

Mr Dutton said the VRA was always amazed by the generosity of Bega Valley community when the squad needed to replace or upgrade equipment.

“We rely on that generosity, but the level of it still amazes us,” he said.

“All our members are volunteers and give a great deal of time and commitment to obtain and maintain their State Rescue Board qualifications.

“Of course, we are always on the look-out for new members so we are happy to send along guest speakers to local organisations or to arrange a barbecue evening for a staff social club to show them just what we do on training nights.”

For more information about the VRA, email Phil Dutton at debbiedutton@bigpond.com