Home News Dundee

‘A very difficult year’: £1,000 donated to struggling Broughty Ferry RNLI

By Lindsey Hamilton

April 8 2021, 7:45am

Murray Brown, left, coxswain of Broughty Ferry RNLI, receiving a cheque from Allan Keillor, chairman of the Dundee 41 Club (right) and John Bennett, past chairman of Dundee 41 Club.

A Dundee lifeboat charity has netted £1,000 after a plea for funding support.

Broughty Ferry RNLI chiefs expressed fear for the charity’s coffers as coronavirus saw almost all fundraising events cancelled, while demand for their lifesaving services increased.

After hearing about their plight, Dundee 41 Club dipped into their own funds to support the local lifeboat.

Chairman of the club, Allan Keillor, presented coxswain of the lifeboat Murray Brown with the cheque at the lifeboat station in the Ferry.

Mr Keillor said: “When we read about the difficulties the lifeboat volunteers have faced this year, particularly in relation to funding, we decided to help out.

“This money comes from our funds and we are delighted to be able to present it to the life boat crew for all the hard work they do.”

Broughty Ferry RNLI donation — From left: Murray Brown, coxswain of Broughty Ferry RNLI, John Bennett, past chairman of Dundee 41 Club and Allan Keillor, chairman of the Dundee 41 Club, at Broughty Lifeboat Station.

Pandemic consequences

Coxswain Mr Brown said: “We are delighted and very grateful to receive this money.

“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic this has been a very difficult year for us.

“We have not been able to hold all our normal fundraising events and activities but demand for our service continues and we have been out on numerous shouts throughout the past year.

“The money will be put to very good use. We have had all our usual expenses throughout this time and every time we go out on a shout it costs a considerable amount of money.”

Last month the lifeboat crew revealed that despite Covid-19 restrictions, the branch saw an increase in launches compared to 2019, which have included a range of call-outs from recovering a capsized dinghy to rescuing a stricken jet skier.

But, despite the bigger workload, local fundraising in the Ferry dropped by £50,000 in that time.

In 2019, £82,000 was raised by fundraising efforts, however 2020 saw donations drop to around £32,000.

A spokesman said: “Currently there are less than 10 fundraisers booked in but we’re hopeful of seeing that increase to a minimum of 20 in preparation for when the lockdown is lifted and things start to return to normal.”