Local Residents To Be Presented With RNLI Honorary Awards

16th February 2010

Six residents from the Highlands and Western Isles are to be presented with an Honorary Award by the RNLI in recognition of their outstanding support to the charity. Four are to receive a gold badge, the third highest honour bestowed by the charity upon fundraising volunteers.

The following local volunteers will be presented with awards:

Mrs P Watson
Dingwall Branch & Guild
Gold Badge

Mrs M H Paterson
Inverness & North Kessock Branch
Gold Badge

Mrs S Campbell
Ross of Mull and Iona Branch
Gold Badge

Mrs B Anderson
Thurso Station Branch
Certificate of Thanks

Mr S G Calder
Thurso Station Branch
Certificate of Thanks

Doctor D J Bickle
Barra Island Station Branch
Gold Badge

One hundred and one volunteers from around Scotland will be invited to attend Royal National Lifeboat Institution's Scottish Annual Meeting at Perth Concert Hall on Friday 11 June 2010 to be presented with their awards by Dunbar RNLI lifeboat Coxswain Gary Fairburn. The ceremony is part of an age-old tradition recognising the invaluable commitment of the lifesaving charity's volunteers. The volunteers will be joined by Scottish RNLI lifeboat crews from Kirkwall and Dunbar who are to be presented with gallantry awards for their roles in rescues in 2009.

Gold badge awardees will be invited to the RNLI's Annual Presentation Awards in London, at the Barbican on 27 May 2010, to accept their award.

Isla Dewar, Fundraising & Communications Manager for the RNLI in Scotland says: 'It would be impossible for the RNLI to provide its lifesaving service at sea without the dedication and commitment of volunteers. There are over 4,500 fundraising volunteers across Scotland who help the charity raise the money needed to train and equip our lifeboat crews. Volunteers rarely get the recognition they deserve which is why the RNLI holds an annual award ceremony to thank them, for helping us to provide one of the best lifesaving services in the world.'


RNLI wbe site at www.rnli.org.uk

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 140 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives.