Invergordon and Kessock RNLI join forces to present Pride of Scotland

12-year-old Keiran Reid, of Avoch, has been recognised with a Child of Courage award at The Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards supported by TSB after raising more than £10,000 for the RNLI.

Volunteer crew members at Invergordon RNLI and Kessock Lifeboat Station helped to surprise Keiran with his award whilst on a joint exercise back in May.

The young fundraiser was on a Dolphin Spirit cruise with his family when the two lifeboats pulled up alongside the rib to thank him for his epic fundraising efforts to support the local lifeboat station.

Keiran has raised more than £10,000 for the RNLI in memory of his father, Craig. He was just six when his dad was washed overboard from the fishing trawler Apollo, near Orkney in 2016. The coastguard helicopters, the military and RNLI searched tirelessly for many hours, but his body was found three months later.

Yvette Kershaw, volunteer crew member at Kessock RNLI, said: ‘We are in admiration of Keiran and the work he has done to help support his local RNLI lifeboat station. He is an inspirational young person and we are very grateful to him.

‘He began fundraising by taking part in a charity car wash, and went on to have his own fundraising event, a bike ride and fancy dress.’

Alan MacDiarmid, Deputy Launching Authority at Kessock RNLI and Chair of the Lifeboat Management Group (LMG), said: ‘The whole crew is very proud of Keiran and his fantastic fundraising.’

ENDS

Notes to editors

· Invergordon lifeboat station has been operating since 1974. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/invergordon-lifeboat-station

· Kessock Lifeboat Station has been operating since 1994. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/kessock-lifeboat-station/station-history-kessock

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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.

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