MRI News

MRI News Update August 2005  

 

Like every charity, Maritime Rescue Institute relies heavily on voluntary contributions and funding for its survival and, guess what, this is what the Harbour Festival weekend in August is all about.  Being our largest fundraising event of the year, its a combination of thanking you, the public, and all in our local community for your continued and valued support for your local lifeboat whilst hopefully giving fun and interest into the bargain.  In the business of saving lives – we need your help, to help us, to help others – so please have fun, enjoy the entertainment and dig deep!

Just this week MRI notched up its 413th rescue, with 5 of these being over the summer holidays.  Kincardineshire and the Trustees of MRI really do owe a big thank you to the 20 volunteer men and women who drop everything at a minute’s notice, day or night, each day of the year, to put the lifeboat to sea.  So we are a busy centre.  We have been asked on a number of occasions why a town the size of Stonehaven has 3 lifeboats.  Apart from providing the local rescue service, MRI has a long history in providing a dual role and its craft are used both in rescue, with two at any one time being declared to HM Coastguard, and as training craft.  Part of the charity’s remit is to provide training, advice and help with the development of other lifeboat establishments around the world.  In fulfilling this role, during the last year we have welcomed trainees from other voluntary groups such as Holland, Belgium, Germany, Iceland and Norway to our base in order to address their training requirements.  The great thing for Stonehaven is that these groups bring income into the area whilst carrying images of Stonehaven and the friendship of the folks of the north east back to their home areas and many of them return on holiday with families. 

On the development side, our help has been asked for by Uganda, Egypt, Madeira, the Canaries, Cape Verdi, the Azores, France and, sadly, Sri Lanka.  All of these areas require MRI’s expertise in identifying a strategy and help with profiling in order to develop a search and rescue service but none was more harrowing than the plight of our associates in Sri Lanka.  MRI had been working towards performing exactly this task in Sri Lanka when Tsunami hit with complete devastation to most of its coastal regions and in particular to its small fishing communities which we, here in the north east, can identify with.  Needless to say, our role changed somewhat and, after two of the charity trustees spent a week amongst the devastation and heartache followed by a presentation to the EU in Brussels which indicated without question that MRI had the vast experience needed in certain areas, MRI has been tireless in its efforts to secure major funding to enable the regeneration, progression and sustainability of these communities.   With the major aid organisations dominating the funding process, to date we still wait with frustration and thoughts of those left behind and with promises of help.   It is especially rewarding for us to have the community in and around Newtonhill appreciate our efforts so much that, led by Bobby Annand, they have raised £900 for the first ‘Skateraw’ boat to be provided through MRI to one of the worst areas hit.  Thank you Newtonhill.  [To read more about this project, click here.)

And we’ve had our rewards – earlier this year the charity was surprised and honoured to eceive a Good Samaritan Award by the police charity, Diced Cap.  It is the likes of our lifeboat crew along with our valued and growing number of onshore volunteers who are the real Good Samaritans and without them the charity could not survive.  How many charities are lucky enough to have two poets, an artist, a photographer, a budding graphic designer, a television producer, individuals who have completed personal challenges with all proceeds going to MRI  along with others who will tirelessly work at anything put their way, in its ‘friends of’ group? 

MRI is also very lucky to have such a vibrant, enthusiastic, energetic and entrepreneurial youth team.  During the past year they have been involved in a diverse range of projects to which they have all adapted brilliantly. How many of us would cope with being asked to sleep overnight on the MRI 42, in the snow, to raise funds for a boat building project, go water skiing and surfing, then work with an artist and poet to develop a mural for the town? They’ve helped at numerous fundraisers and developed fundraising ideas of their own, including the C-SAFETY wristbands on sale today.

The multi-tasking doesn’t stop there! The SAR Youth Team has already developed a compassion and desire to help others with the knowledge they’ve gained about rescue. This was actioned with the development of a short play called ‘Cliffhanger’, which gives key safety messages. Cliffhanger was first performed to 144 pupils at the Aberdeenshire Pupils Forum. How many of us would be willing to stand up and act in front of our peers?!  You can see this play on the night of Monday 22nd August at the Town Hall, following Catherine Wheels’ performance of Lifeboat.

The youth work is expanding into a programme with local schools. The characters Rory and Ropey were developed in collaboration with Project Bureau of Grays School of Art and they’ve proven to be exceptionally good teachers!  Watch out for them at the Harbour Festival.

And what of our latest quest to support the coffers – ‘The Boathouse Café’.  Fantastic and spectacular location, great coffee, excellent freshly prepared food, fine wine and two ladies who are willing to run their business in support of the charity.  Thank you Pauline and Susan.  For those of you who frequent it – keep coming, and for those of you who have not tried it – give it a go! 

Can I express a sincere thanks to all who support in each and every one of our activities and fundraising events – every penny and gesture counts.

Ann Laing, Trustee

 

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