Mission complete for top fundraisers

Championed for being big fish of the fundraising game, a moped crew from St Monans have been commended by a fishermen's welfare charity in recognition of the significant contribution they have made to the organisation.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Aug 2016, 13:00 BST
Peter Donald, Rhona Grant and Allan Burr from the Fishermens Mission present Scott Jones and his friends with the award for the National Fundraisers of the Year.Peter Donald, Rhona Grant and Allan Burr from the Fishermens Mission present Scott Jones and his friends with the award for the National Fundraisers of the Year.
Peter Donald, Rhona Grant and Allan Burr from the Fishermens Mission present Scott Jones and his friends with the award for the National Fundraisers of the Year.

Scott Jones and his friends were recently presented with a trophy for being the fund-raisers of the year for the Fishermens Mission (FM).

They toured Scotland on their Honda C90 mopeds for a week in May last year and raised a staggering £15,000 for the Mission.

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Unable to attend the official presentation in London, the Mission caught up with Scott and his friends during a weekend away at a campsite in Aberfeldy to hand over their trophy.

The group expressed their pleasure that their efforts had brought much needed funds to help the work in their part of Scotland.

“We all have some reason to be thankful for the work of the Mission,” said Scott. “And my own family were greatly helped by them some years ago.”

More than 13,000 people work in fishing, considered to be the UK’s toughest and most dangerous peacetime occupation. The charity provides emergency and welfare support to fishermen and their families 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

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“We thought it would be good to combine our own adventure last year with a worthwhile cause, and were amazed at the support that we received, not just the money, but the goodwill and encouragement from so many people.”

Peter Donald, Mission Port Officer for Fife, said that it had been a joy to work with Scott and his friends and to see how the Mission profile in the area had been raised by the publicity surrounding the efforts of the team. He said: “Many people believe that the Mission has been decommissioned along with many of the fishing boats. But it is in fact more active than ever all around the coast, helping active, retired, and incapacitated fishermen and their families in these difficult financial times.

“Events like this remind us all that the Mission is alive and well, and also bring in the means to keep the work going.”

The Fishermen’s Mission is a lifeline for many and plays a vital role in fighting poverty and despair in fishing communities across the UK.

The next event on the Mission Fife programme will be the memorial service for lost fishermen which will be held at the Anstruther Fisheries Museum on October 29.

Related topics:ScotlandHondaLondon