A Caithness fundraiser tells us what it’s like to be part of the RNLI family
What do you do?
I’m deputy chairman of the Wick RNLI Fundraising Branch. I’ve been involved for over a decade. Wick’s quite a small community.

Is it difficult finding support?
No, we generally bring in £35,000-£40,000 a year. There are about 20 of us on the committee and we’re always looking for new members. We have a fantastic rapport with local people and businesses. I don’t think I’ve ever come across anybody who has refused anything reasonable we’ve asked of them. If I went to a local contractor right now and asked to borrow staging and barriers for an event, it wouldn’t be a problem.
What exciting events do you organise?
Harbour Day is one of the biggest events in our calendar. It attracts around 5,500 people and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. We have a massive barbecue that’s always popular because the smell wafts along the quay! A couple of years ago some ladies on our committee did something a little different. They spent 3 days stranded on the Isle of Stroma. It’s exposed and uninhabited, apart from a few sheep. The ladies just about got blown off the face of the earth completing sponsored activities there and raised almost £10,000. Our problem is always how to top the last event.
How much time do you give up?
Officially, I’m at the station once a month for meetings but I come in most days to see what’s going on. Plus, the coffee’s good.
What does volunteering for the RNLI mean to you?
It gives me purpose. When I get up in the morning my wife asks: ‘Where are you going to today?’ and it’s automatic: ‘the lifeboat station’. I like seeing the boats and chatting with the crew. It keeps me going. When you’re a member of the RNLI family it doesn’t matter where you are, you’ll always get a wave or a chat.
Photo: RNLI/Nathan Williams