Wick RNLI Harbour Day raises more than £12,000 for charity

Wick's Harbour Day raised a total of £12,200 for the local RNLI lifeboat charity.

Coxswain Allan Lipp was delighted with the amount raised at the community event, which saw up to 2000 people gather on the quayside last Saturday.

A spokesman for the Wick lifeboat said: "On behalf of Wick RNLI coxswain Allan Lipp, the crew and the fundraising team, we wish to pass on our thanks to the local community for the support they showed the RNLI during our annual fundraising harbour day.

"The total raised for the day amounted to an amazing £12,200."

The day included displays by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), Police Scotland, Wick airport firefighters, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, HM Coastguard and Highland and Islands Blood Bikes along with parades by Wick RBLS Pipe Band and live traditional music performances.

The Wick lifeboat Roy Barker II was open to the public, and its counterpart from Longhope made the trip over from Orkney.

Visitors were welcomed on board the Wick Society's historic fishing boat Isabella Fortuna and one of the crew transfer vessels from the Beatrice offshore wind farm. Trips around the harbour were offered by Wick Coastal Rowing Club and Caithness Seacoast.

"We wish to thank all of the people and the many local businesses for the donations that they made to the event, especially to the local fishing community for their donations of fresh seafood, Scrabster Sea Foods and fishing vessels Caledonia and Reliance," the spokesman added.

"The day was greatly helped the numerous displays from the Wick RBLS Pipe Band, the Pentland Model Boat Club, Wick Airport and the local fire brigade, the CNC and local police force, HM Coastguard, Caithness Seacoast, the Highland and Islands Blood Bikes, the Seafarers memorial group, Wick Heritage Centre and the Isabella Fortunate volunteers, Erin More and her hairdressing team, the Wick Young Fiddlers group and Addie Harper, the Wick Coastal Rowing Club, Jenny Szyfelbail for compering the event, Chameleon Events for the sound system, and the Wick heritage team for catering to the crew and public, Murray Lamont and the Mackay’s Hotel.

"We wish to pass on our thanks to all of the participants of the event, not forgetting our colleagues from Longhope and all of the local vessels for putting on such a great display in the harbour – and, last but not least, the Wick Harbour Authority, without which the event could not have been hosted."

Speaking after the event, Mr Lipp said: “I am genuinely blown away with the support. It was such an awesome turnout, and the generosity of the community is quite a special thing.

“I think everybody was probably looking for an event of some sort. There has not really been a lot on, with lockdown restrictions and everything else.

“It was just a day where everybody could get together. We are very humbled by it all."

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