Pentland Ferries shine a light for cancer charity with lighthouse purchase
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A replica lighthouse has been purchased by Pentland Ferries to help raise funds for the Clan Cancer Support charity.
The company is inviting anyone who has benefited from the charity to have their picture taken with the lighthouse sculpture, which has been installed at St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney.
The Banks family who own and run the independent ferry company, operating services between Caithness and Orkney, are also inviting people to share the photos on a fundraising page which has been set up on Facebook. They were delighted to secure the lighthouse in a charity auction following Clan’s highly successful Light the North fundraising campaign.
The charity is particularly close to the family’s hearts – they experienced first-hand the support that Clan offers cancer patients when company owner Susan Banks underwent treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in 2021.
Susan said: "The support offered by Clan to cancer patients in the North East of Scotland and the islands is absolutely outstanding. Like myself, there are so many Orkney people who have benefited from staying in Clan Haven and have really appreciated the practical and emotional support that the charity provides, all of which helps lighten what can, of course, be a very difficult journey.
"Feeling indebted to the charity, we were very pleased to get behind the ingenious Light the North lighthouse trail. To start, we formed our own family team and walked the 430-mile equivalent distance between the lighthouses, raising £400 for the charity, and then we bid to buy one of the 45 creative pieces in the auction.
"We managed to secure ‘People Light The North’ – the lighthouse designed by Design and Code in Aberdeen which was sponsored by the University of Aberdeen and had been situated at the Sir Duncan Rice Library during the trail."
She continued: "We are now delighted to have the 2.5m lighthouse erected at the marshalling area at St Margaret’s Hope, with a backdrop of the village. We would like to invite as many people as possible who have, directly or indirectly, benefited from Clan to come and have their picture taken with the piece.
"For those who would then like to share their picture or make a donation to the charity, we have a fundraising page on Facebook and welcome their pictures, which we will gather and share with Clan.
"We recognise that this is a particularly difficult time for cancer patients, experiencing delays in diagnosis and treatment, so now more than ever we rely on the magnificent support that Clan provides. I know that the charity will, in turn, welcome Orkney’s ongoing appreciation and support."
The team behind the replica lighthouse bought by the Banks family feel that it is people that light up the north and in coming together they form a diverse community supporting one another.
Community, connection, trust, support and collaboration were all key themes in the design. years. With a nod to Aberdeen’s heritage, the design is also inspired by fishing nets which inform the geometry and colours of the piece.
The auction held at Thainstone Exchange in November last year raised £324,200 for the charity, while the lighthouse trail ran from August 9-17, 2021.
It was the latest art sculpture trail in Scotland following on from Oor Wullie to inspire artists, school and the public from across the country while raising fund for Clan Cancer Support.
Pentland Ferries has already raised over £400 on its Facebook fundraising page which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/donate/1141297633342013/
