An evening of food and fun raises £837 for Longhope RNLI
Local resident and business owner, Emily Smith, has raised £837 for the RNLI, by hosting a fundraising event in her restaurant on the island of Hoy.
The picturesque Millbay on the island of Hoy hosts Emily’s, a small restaurant and gift shop owned and managed by Emily Smith, which serves high quality dishes made from locally sourced ingredients; paired with a cocktail or two, if it takes your fancy.
The RNLI is a charity that relies wholly on the generosity of the public to ensure that our volunteer crews have all the relevant equipment required to enable them to continue to save lives at sea.
On 27 April 2024, after months of meticulous planning, Emily, supported by volunteers, welcomed sixteen guests to her restaurant for an evening of food and fun in support of the RNLI. The evening featured a fantastic menu headlined by a balsamic slow cooked beef dish, with the beef generously supplied by Flett’s Butchers, leaving guests satisfied with empty plates all around.
The evening was full of laughter and fun featuring a challenging yet enjoyable three-round quiz, described by Emily as 'a hit.’ Prizes for the quiz and raffle were generously donated by longstanding local business partners to Emily's, including vouchers and chutneys from Fletts Butchers, wine from Kirkness and Gorie, and vouchers from Pierowall Fish and Emily’s. Emily stated, ‘I asked some of the businesses I’ve worked with for years and they were only too willing to support the evening’.
The evening was a success and a delighted Emily said, ‘What a joy to host my first RNLI fundraising event at Emily’s. I hope it is the start of a yearly tradition! A big thank you to the sixteen guests who booked into the event and supported such a good cause. Without you this event would not have been a success. A special thanks to the local businesses for gifting some lovely raffle prizes and an extra thanks to Fletts for donating the beef for the night. Lastly thank you to Derek and Helen (aka Mum and Dad) for stepping in to help with the quiz, serving, clearing, general dogsbody and entertainment! With profit from the night, raffles, tickets, pin badges and donations the night raised £850!’
Deanna Johnston, who attended with her husband Scott Johnston (Coxswain Longhope Lifeboat) said, ‘Emily opened the doors for an evening of fantastic, locally sourced food, entertainment and great frivolity, with many well considered special touches such as RNLI bunting and exquisitely dressed tables. It was evident that Emily, Derek and Helen had gone to a great deal of effort to ensure and enjoyable evening was had by all. Scott and I would like to sincerely thank all involved, including the local businesses for their generous contributions and the other guests for their attendance and for contributing towards the fundraising pot with and extra special heartfelt thank you to Emily, Derek and Helen for a wonderful evening. We’ll be back next year!’
Notes to editors
· Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874 and celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Longhope Lifeboat Station (rnli.org)
RNLI media contacts
Vicky Mackinnon, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07703 688066, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Tom McGuire, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland and Ireland, 00353 87 476 4436, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.