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The 2023 Thurso Lifeboat Summer Fayre raised a five-figure sum for the RNLI – setting a new record for the second year in a row.
The popular annual event again attracted hundreds of people to the Scrabster fish market and a total of £13,323 was taken in.
The 2022 event had raised £10,502, which was itself a record amount.
The fayre was opened by Sandy Gordon who has had many years’ involvement with Thurso RNLI, serving on the fundraising committee.
Among those taking part were Thurso Rotary Club, Dounreay, the Army Cadet Force, the Royal Navy, the emergency services and Pentland Model Boat Club.
Attractions included a local fish stall, the RNLI shop, a barbecue manned by crew members, teas and cakes, Mina Mackay’s dancers and members of Forss Young Farmers who ran a “guess the number of balloons in the tractor” competition.
Local singer Ross Murray was selling CDs featuring songs he had written, with all money going to the RNLI.
Mr Gordon presented crew member Dougie Munro with a painting showing the three lifeboats he served on during his 47 years of service.
Mr Munro stood down as coxswain last year but is still a relief coxswain and is now the deputy launch authority (DLA). This presentation was organised by crew members.
Jackie Robertson was presented with a painting of the present Thurso lifeboat, The Taylors, as a mark of gratitude for his work as DLA from 2011, then as lifeboat operations manager from 2015 until his retirement in August 2020. This too was from the crew members.
Thurso RNLI press officer Ron Gunn was presented with a certificate of thanks from RNLI for his support with the production and promotion of an episode of the BBC TV series Saving Lives at Sea involving Thurso lifeboat saving a lone sailor 40 miles out at sea.
Mr Gunn said afterwards: “We had a tremendous turnout at the Thurso Lifeboat Summer Fayre and we would like to thank everyone for digging deep in their pockets. We’re also grateful to all the stallholders and everyone else who contributed to make it such a successful day.
“The local community is always good at supporting the lifeboat service, but this was exceptionally good because of the amount of money we took in.”
The RNLI has 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland and is funded mainly by donations. It receives no government funding.
