Arbroath RNLI joined by unusual crew as lifesaving charity hopes fundraising tide is set to turn

By Graham Brown

May 3 2021, 1:05pm

Arbroath RNLI fundraisers took part in the Mayday Mile.

Arbroath RNLI enlisted unusual crew characters for their return to fundraising duties in the town.

The Angus town’s lifesavers took part in the charity’s weekend Mayday Mile fundraising drive, with fancy dress superheroes and movie figures joining them on the bucket collection walk.

RNLI crews around the coast of Tayside and Fife have seen call-out rates remain high throughout the pandemic.

But their income has been decimated during lockdown.

The easing of coronavirus restrictions is offering hope that the fundraising flow will increase significantly ahead of what is expected to be another busy summer.

Munros

One Arbroath crew member is also going the extra mile in his own fundraising mission.

Coxswain Michael Marr hopes to raise £500 this month with a 150-mile challenge – including scaling a couple of Angus Munro’s in his RNLI kit.

Arbroath RNLI fundraising — Michael Marr will be climbing Angus Munros in his lifeboat gear.

Michael said: “For over 12 years I’ve been active member of the Arbroath lifeboat crew.

“Last year was one of the busiest I remember in terms of shouts.

“At Arbroath, we get a number of call outs that turn out to be false alarms with good intent.

“However, last summer, most probably due to a lot of people staying at home and enjoying what our amazing local coastline has to offer, we were busy dealing with shouts where people were in need of assistance.

“With the national callouts going up and the need for funding more important than ever I decided to step up to the plate and help raise funds for the fuel I’ll probably help burn this summer.