Barra Lifeboat Station donation
The Isle of Barra Lifeboat Station has received a massive donation of £8,750 from the friends and family and local community of Martin Johnstone who died alongside two crew mates when the fishing vessel MV Louisa sank off Mingulay on 9 April 2016.
Mr Johnstone’s family raised the funds by holding a marathon line dancing fundraising event in the Royal British Legion in Thurso.
Barra Lifeboat was actively involved in the search for the crew of the MV Louisa.
The family stated that they had wanted to raise the funds in support of the Barra Lifeboat Station and their volunteer crew and to help others in the future.
Barra Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) Roderick MacLean said, ‘On behalf of Barra Lifeboat Station we are very appreciative of this magnificent sum that was raised in memory of Martin Johnstone and his crew mates Paul Alliston and Chris Morrison.
‘The family have asked that the sum be used towards our new building which we hope will be started next year.”
RNLI media contacts:
Eoin MacNeil, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Office at Barra, 01871810036 or 07772425854 [email protected]
Richard Smith, Public Relations Manager Scotland on 01738 642956, 07786 668903 or [email protected]
Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642946, 07771 943026, [email protected]
RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
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 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. 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 142,700 lives.
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