Friday 29 March 2024
 7.8°C   SE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Community / Fire fighters take to the road to raise funds for charity

The walk got under way at the Baltsound fire station in Unst on 4 May which is International Fire Fighters Day. Left to right: James Tulloch, Iain Macleod and Ewan Anderson.

A GROUP of local fire fighters are well underway walking the isles’ tarmac – visiting all 14 stations in Shetland in the process – as part of a fundraising challenge in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity.

Ewan Anderson and James Tulloch were just past the Nibon junction on their way to Hillswick when Shetland News caught up with them on Wednesday afternoon.

It was their second consecutive day of walking and things were going well, Ewan said, but the 20-kilo breathing apparatus they were carrying between them to make things a little more interesting was getting somewhat heavy.

“Legs are a wee bit sore but me and James are really encouraged by the support we are getting on the road – we even had some members of the public stopping and giving us donations. That’s amazing,” Anderson said.

“We stopped at EMN Plant [at Graven], and they donated £100 which will be helping a lot towards to total raised.

“When we finished walking for the day, we are going back to our homes and we are still on call as retained fire fighters for our community. You just never know when the pager is going to go off.”

The fire rescue service is available to help the community 24/7 and that hasn’t changed during the pandemic, Anderson – who works as a support watch commander with the fire service in Shetland – added.

Ewan Anderson: ‘encouraged by the support we are getting on road’.

However, what has changed during the pandemic is that many of the regular fundraising events in aid of the fire service’s own charity – such as sponsored car washes – couldn’t be held, resulting in this and many other charities coming under serious financial pressure.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

“This walk really is about helping the people who help us in a moment of need,” Ewan said.

“The Fire Fighters Charity is always there to support fire fighters be it in rehabilitation of mental health issues.

“So this seemed like something that me and James could do help raise some much needed funds for the charity.”

At the Lerwick headquarters on Sea Road, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service manager for Shetland Matt Mason said Ewan and James came up with the idea of walking between all fire stations in Shetland “to raise the profile”.

“They are putting themselves out there challenging themselves physically in aid of a brilliant cause,” Mason said.

Anderson and Tulloch will be joined by others when time and work commitments allow. Walking slightly more than 20 miles a day, they hope to be able to complete their trek over coming weeks.

After reaching Hillswick they will have to walk a fair bit of the A970 back to Brae as part of their next leg before heading west to Bixter and Walls.

Their walking journey will end at the ferry terminal at Grutness where the breathing apparatus set will transfer to the Good Shepherd to be picked up by colleagues on Fair Isle.

So far around £1,000 has been raised. Online donations can be made via this link or in person by stopping the guys on the road.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.