Local businessman in fundraising hook-up with Wick Seafarers Memorial Group
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A public-spirited local businessman has hooked up with members of Wick's Seafarers Memorial Group in a new fundraising venture.
John Sinclair, who is retiring from Caithness Creels, donated 1000 bin hooks which can be used to secure bin lids and prevent them blowing open and the contents being scattered.
The hooks were then packaged by the Seafarers Memorial Group with instructions and a zip tie added. Committee members say they hope it will become a must-have accessory for Caithness householders.
The hooks are being sold for £5 each by committee members and at a number of outlets in Wick and Thurso – the Corner Café, harbour office, heritage centre, wood yard, KeyStore branches (Hillhead and Bridge Street), Meiklejohn’s shop and Francis Street filling station, all in Wick, and Cardosi’s shop and Ormlie filling station in Thurso.
The group is aiming to raise as much as £100,000 to erect a monument at the town’s Braehead in memory of all seafarers lost from or in the WK registration area.
Group chairman Willie Watt said: “We are very grateful for this generous donation by John Sinclair and we wish him well in his retirement after many successful years at the forefront of UK creel production from his factory in Wick.
"The bin hooks are a fantastic idea – they are very simple to fit and will help reduce the amount of litter on our streets. They are a practical way for members of the public to support the Seafarers Memorial Group while getting something really useful in return."
Mr Watt added: "As with many things, our fundraising efforts have been on hold due to the pandemic but as we ease out of lockdown we are raising funds again and pressing on with our objective of raising a fitting memorial to those lost at sea.
"We are three-quarters way towards our target of £100,000 and we will soon be in a position to go out and seek expressions of interest from professional artists.”
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