A group from Kingsbridge are off to Portishead in the next leg of their rafting tour raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance and the RNLI.

The team, heatgrime, is made up of Dave Balsdon - transport co-ordinator, technician Mark Bossons, Mike Rutkowski - captain and co-ordinator, and Ben Stone.

They are off to Portishead, near Bristol, this weekend for a race on July 9, their last race before the Kingsbridge Fair Week raft race on July 16.

Local competition is hotting up for the Fair Week battle, as Rob Bigwood, who competed with the heatgrime team as a guest rafter in Plymouth, is taking part with a Royal Mail team, while his wife Jenna is putting together a team of friends to out do her husband.

Toad Hall are also resurrecting their raft to defend their title from last year.

Mike Rutkowski said: “heatgrime are travelling the night before to Portishead as we could be involved in three races due to the way they organise their event. Matched sponsorship funding means the fastest three rafts from the first two heats can claim from £100-£250.”

The team have received pledges of £408 so far and the RNLI and the Devon Air Ambulance have donated T-shirts for the team, who will be wearing the RNLI ones at Portishead and the Devon Air Ambulance ones at Kingsbridge Fair Week.

So far heatgrime came second at the Barbican in Plymouth on Sunday, May 14, and tenth at Looe in Cornwall on Sunday, June 4. Still to go is Portishead this weekend, Kingsbridge Fair Week on July 16, Frogmore Regatta on Sunday, August 20, and The Dart Struggle on Friday, October 1, which is just over nine miles and takes more than four hours.

You can donate to the causes by using the JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/heatgrime or through the website: www.heatgrime.co.uk