Rallying round to win funds for new Aberdeen inshore lifeboat
Aberdeenshire businessmen, Ian Garden of RigDeluge® and William Bird of Fennel Media, are such admirers of the lifesaving efforts of the RNLI volunteers in Aberdeen that they are leading a vital fundraising project toward the £52,000 cost of replacing Aberdeen’s Inshore Lifeboat (ILB).
“It’s the right thing for me, and our community to do,” says Ian. “Whether we’re referring to anglers, kite-surfers, families on a day out or people earning their living at sea and offshore, we all benefit from the services provided by the RNLI.
“If RNLI crews are willing to risk their lives to save ours, the least we can do as a community is to make sure they have the right equipment to undertake their invaluable services.”
In order to raise the funds, Ian and Bill have launched an on-line raffle appeal, with the four eventual winners experiencing a thrilling forest stage in the RigDeluge® sponsored team rally car, driven by local rally ace Quintin Milne, on the VIP Test Day at the Speyside Rally on Friday 21st April.
Quintin says: “High speed, lots of noise, lots of ‘opposite lock’ sideways cornering on gravel – it’s an unusual experience for many but always seems to get a great response! This is a chance for four lucky winners to experience a real slice of rallying, on a real forest stage, in an iconic, professionally prepared and driven Ford Escort Mk II rally car.”
He has already had some of the Lifeboat crew out in the rally car – and has also experienced being rescued by the Lifeboat in an exercise in Aberdeen bay: “Not only are the RNLI team members totally professional - they’re all volunteers. The local community must get behind them to ensure they have the optimum vessel and equipment to undertake the lifesaving work they do.”
The video promotion, including footage of Quintin and the RNLI crew exchanging rally and Lifeboat experiences, is available at https://vimeo.com/fennelmedia/rnli. This also leads to a JustGiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Aberdeen-ILB) where the raffle tickets can be purchased at £5 each, for the chance to win one of the four prize rally trips.
Ian continues: “Aberdeen needs this vital lifesaving equipment for our city, so Google it, check out the video and, above all, BUY TICKETS to support the RNLI and win the chance of the rallying thrill of a lifetime.”
Davie Orr, Coxswain of the Aberdeen Lifeboat, says: “Every penny raised in this raffle will go towards the RNLI’s lifesaving services in Aberdeen. The RNLI is hugely grateful to Ian Garden of RigDeluge®, William Bird of Fennel Media and Quintin Milne for leading the community in this important fundraising and lifesaving initiative.”
Further information from:
For RNLI (including requests for TV/Radio interview facilitation): Terry McNeill, Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Aberdeen. Tel 01651 843225 (H) or 07941 329798 (M). Email [email protected]
and
For RigDeluge®: Rachel Creegan, Managing Director, thinkPR, Tel 01224 623960 // [email protected]
Key facts about Aberdeen’s Lifeboats and the RNLI
Aberdeen Lifeboat Station is one of Scotland’s busiest. Crews were called out on some 50 rescues in 2016, the Station’s busiest year on record.
The current Aberdeen Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) was new in 2008, so will have seen 10 years’ service in Aberdeen when it is replaced in 2018.
The new ILB, like the craft it will replace, will be a highly-manoeuvrable ‘D’ Class inflatable, especially suited to search and rescue activity close inshore and in surf conditions. The ‘D’ Class is 5m long, has a crew of 3 people, 3 hours’ endurance and can reach its assigned search area at a speed of 25 knots.
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 over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 100 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK.
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 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Terry McNeill
Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Aberdeen
Tel 01651 843225 (H) or 07941 329798 (M)
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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok 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.