Over £2,100 raised for local RNLI fund
A CNC officer based at Dounreay has raised over £2,100 so far this year for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
PC Pete Shewell has been fundraising for the RNLI for almost 40 years and this current drive is to help fund the new engines for the RNLI’s Thurso lifeboat, The Taylors. Since February he has been working with local businesses in his efforts, beginning with the staff at the Meadow Lane Co-Op in Thurso who organised sponsored hair cutting, home baking sale and a raffle.
He then organised a dance at the Weigh Inn with music from the Barracuda Boogie Band and special guest musicians. PC Shewell and his wife Simone, who also works for the CNC as a kennel assistant at Dounreay, have both just become community safety officers for the Thurso boats area and will be responsible for helping to roll out the RNLI’s respect the water campaign, which is the drive to half coastal drowning by 2024. Pete has been a governor of the organisation for 33 years.
PC Shewell said: “We had over 120 people attend the event and the band soon had them up on the dance floor jiving away to many old favourite tunes.
“The Meadow Lane Co-op staff presented a cheque for £905.70 on the night and when we added this to the amount raised from ticket sales, donations and raffle ticket sales the total amount raised was a fantastic £2,125.
“I would like to thank the staff and management of the Meadow Lane Co-op, staff and management of Weigh Inn, the Barracuda Boogie Band and Dounreay Communities Fund for their help in raising this amount; also a big thanks to the businesses and friends who donated gifts for the raffle; and last but not least the people who attended the dance.
“Our lifeboat The Taylors, is due to have a major refit of new engines later in the year. These replacements will enhance the capabilities and be more efficient than the present ones and come in at a cost of around £600,000.
“We will also be continuing our fund raising efforts throughout the year by holding a number of craft fayres at the Royal British Legion assisted by local crafters, so watch out for the posters around Thurso.
“We are always looking for helpers who can spare two or three hours assisting either at the craft fayres or coffee mornings so if you can help, get in touch via the Thurso Lifeboat Community Facebook page and find out more information about RNLI events.”