AN ENTERPRISING Poole teenager has been tickling the ivories to raise funds to help save lives at sea.

Rachel Matthews has been playing the piano every evening, entertaining customers at the Slipway Bay at the RNLI College in Poole and is donating all the money she makes to the RNLI.

She has been playing the piano for four years and the 14-year-old has been performing every evening in May and twice on a Friday night, entertaining diners, visiting crew, tour visitors and even a 50th wedding anniversary party.

The Parkstone Grammar pupil said: “I’m doing Young Enterprise’s Tenner Challenge, where you have a month to make as much money as you can from £10. I decided to play the piano and donate all the money raised to the RNLI, a charity I support because of the amazing work it does saving lives at sea.”

She said: “We did our family history once and we discovered that our family were fishermen and some were on the crew. The money I raise I hope will go towards funding trainees equipment or training.”

Rachel has been supported by her family ferrying her to the college daily and her brother Jack has been carrying round the collection buckets. And she was so devoted to her task she celebrated her birthday around the piano.

As she embarked on her last week of playing the “RNLI rhapsody”, the crew from Poole lifeboat station gathered around the piano to encourage her.

“Rachel is an inspiration, giving up her time and coming up with such a genius fundraising idea,” said Poole volunteer coxswain Jonathan Clark. “Her tutor must be pleased with all her practice.

“All of the crew appreciate, applaud and thank her for supporting us. She is an absolute star.”

Her epic entertaining stint continues until the end of May. Support her by dropping in at the bar at 7pm or at justgiving.com/Rachel-Matthews1.