I am turning 60 on 20th August and in lieu of gifts I am asking friends and family to donate to the RNLI. 

I have an ongoing love and connection with the sea. My family have had a connection to the sea for 100s of years. My dad's dad, didey Jack, was a fisherman working out of Anstruther and my mam's dad, Belgar didey, out of Inverallochy. My uncles and my brothers went to sea and some of my family still do. My mam grew up in Inverallochy, a small fishing village on the sea and worked in the fish before she had us. My dad grew up in St. Combs, the next door village and started working life in the merchant navy, moving on to the Fleet Air Arm during WW2 Latterly he took over his mam's fish round, building it up to a successful fish processing business in Fraserburgh, depending heavily on those who went to sea. My brothers took this on further and a sister, nephews and a niece carry on that work connection to this day. I also have friends & family who work offshore - or putting it another way - on sea.

I grew up in Fraserburgh when the Duchess of Kent lifeboat was lost with all of its crew, including my father's friend Fred Kirkness. I have clear memories as an 8-year-old of lining the street with my mam and the entire town who had turned out to the funerals out of respect for these brave men.

Earlier this year I lost a nephew, Georgie, to cancer and he had been a RNLI lifeboat volunteer, selflessly putting himself at risk to save others. 

So you can see my respect for the RNLI runs as deep as my love of the sea. When thinking about using me becoming a pensioner for good, I thought immediately about the RNLI and I found out in particular about the work ongoing in Scotland to build a new Anstruther boathouse to house the new lifeboat that they will receive in 2023. How appropriate?!

In the UK and Ireland alone, 140 people die by accident in the water each year. Half of those who drown never intend on entering the water.

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. In 2020, brave volunteer crew across Scotland launched to the rescue 1,071 times; that's an average of 3 launches each and every day of the year. Why? Because RNLI lifeboat crews are determined to save every one.

I have also closely watched and cheered on the life saving work that has been going on in the English Channel and wholeheartedly support the incredible crews there who set aside any political agendas and put their own lives at risk to save others.

As a charity, the RNLI receives no government funding and needs to raise an average £155,000 per year to run just one lifeboat station. With 46 lifeboat stations in Scotland, the RNLI relies on the support of its local communities to power its lifesaving service. Your donation to this page will help support the running of lifeboat stations in Scotland and, ultimately, help to save lives.

Thank you

Lorna x

Photo - my sister Mary (8); me (4) and my brother Jimmy (17) on board my uncle William John's fishing boat boat FR227 just off Burghead summer 1966