The Fire Fighters CharityScotland
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Regional Fundraiser: Jan Mattison
- Telephone: 07825 180961
- Email: jmattison@firefighterscharity.org.uk
Counties Covered: Central, Tayside A, Tayside B, Strathclyde, Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Islands, Lothian & Borders, Dumfries & Galloway.
Latest Fundraising News
6 CAPITALS CHALLENGE
STOP PRESS! With a fantastic £10,701 raised so far for their Challenge, the team have now headed off from Edinburgh, stopping off at Stranraer, Belfast, Dublin, Holyhead, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, and Newbury before they will arrive in London to join the Charity's London to Paris Cycle event! The Lothian & Borders team would like to thank car dealership Western Group for emailing all their employees with the justgiving site link - http://www.justgiving.com/Margaret-Barnes-Smith. However, please carry on offering any donations you can by clicking on this link, and supporting the team!
Thanks again to all the venues who have allowed collections by the team - Morrisons, Somerfield, Asda, Tesco, Mayfield/Klondyke Garden Centres and Kelso Racecourse.
Thanks to the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op for supplying the team with spare inner tubes, saying 'We wouldn't want a flat tyre to slow down the fire fighters' fantastic fundraising ride.'
Thanks must also go to Pedal Power of West Calder for supplying the team with lots of energy bars and power drinks, to keep them going!
Knockhill Racing Circuit Discount Offer
Knockhill Racing Circuit are offering all Fire Service Personnel discounts on some of their events. 10% discount on Driving Experience Days. A cleverly designed voucher range offers experiences to suit every taste, ability and budget. Whether it's learning valuable new skills on the skid pan, taming a 360 Modena Ferrari on track, going 'YEEHAA' in a Subaru Rally car or flying along in a Single Seater Racing Car; Knockhill can make those driving dreams come true. Offering the widest range of driving experiences in the UK, including Teen Drive for 13-16yr olds! More details and full information available at www.knockhill.com When ordering, please use the code: FFC10 to activate the discounted rate.
British Touring Car Championships on 4th/5th September 2010: Advance tickets for the Sunday are priced at £25, but the specially reduced price for Fire Service Personnel is £20. The cut-off date for this offer is 22nd August - so early booking is recommended. Bookings can be made by telephone (01383 723337) quoting: FIRE FIGHTERS
Arrochar Station Open Day
Firefighters from Arrochar Station, Strathclyde, held a successful Open Day recently and worked hard to raise a superb amount for the Charity. Rep Jim Harvey donated £500 to The Fire Fighters Charity from this event. Well done to all concerned! A really great effort and we are extremely grateful to receive their kind donation.
Scotland's Spirit of Fire Success!
On Friday 4th June, Wembley Stadium played host to The Fire Fighters Charity Spirit of Fire Awards - a wonderful night of glitz and glamour, but also an event which honoured all those nominated for an award - those who have gone that extra mile for the Charity and those whose bravery inspires us all. Scotland was well represented at the event, with Heather Watt of Lothian & Borders FRS winning Fire & Rescue Service Employee of the Year, Adam Bruce of Aberdeenshire winning the Beneficiary of Courage Award and Ewan Williamson of Tollcross FS, Lothian & Borders being recognised as Britain's Bravest Fire Fighter, his award being collected by his sister Rebecca. A special mention to David Beggs of Strathclyde FRS who attended the event as a shortlisted nominee for Supporter of the Year and also to Nicky Blair of Glasgow, who was shortlisted as Beneficiary of Courage. Congratulations and well done to all of Scotland's nominees and award winners!
Fife FRS Make A Difference
On Thursday 27th May, Fife Fire & Rescue Service presented a cheque to The Fire Fighters Charity for the total of £20,000. This money will be put towards equipment for the Jubilee Therapy Centre, including;
- An upper body ergometer (Impaired Mobility Aid, Dual Function)
- A dual adjustable pulley (Impaired Mobility Aid, Dual Function)
- Pressure mattresses for impaired mobility patients
- A new stand/aid for impaired mobility
Our grateful thanks to all concerned at Fife FRS for this wonderful donation to our Charity and Jubilee Therapy Centre. The photograph shows the cheque presentation by Chief Fire Office, Jimmy Campbell, and fire fighter, Andrew Hunter, who is also the Charity's Service Co-ordinator for Fife FRS. Well done to all concerned!
Scotland's Superb Skydive!
On Sunday 16th May, 14 brave people took a leap of faith and completed their tandem skydives on behalf of The Fire Fighters Charity. The day was long, and despite a couple of blips with the weather and plane faults (!), everyone managed to get up in the air and out of the plane. A few nervous moments beforehand, but lots of smiles after! Well done to all who took part and helped to raise an amazing £5000 for our Charity. The photo shows Gary Drummond from Bridge of Allan Fire Station, who was definitely the most worried having never flown before, but he absolutely loved the jump, as his smile shows. Well done all!
The Ladies Rock Knockhill
Despite sitting under the only rain cloud in the UK on Sunday 18th April, Knockhill came alive with a host of fire engines, cranes, JCBs and 4x4s, and a special appearance by the Green Goddess! The lovely ladies who attended had a great time, didn't mind the mud and raised lots of money for the Charity. The current total is just over £10,500 - so well done to all! Thank you to all the participants, all of the volunteers from Scotland's fantastic Fire Services, the vehicle suppliers and instructors, and the volunteers who gave up their Sunday to help out. Congratulations to Caroline Murphy and Gail Russell, our top 2 fundraisers who had a couple of adrenalin-filled Hot Laps around Knockhill at the end of the day. We aim to make next year's event even bigger and better, so register your interest with Jan now and be top of the list!!
6 Capitals
Challenge 2010
Kelso and Edinburgh Fire Stations are joining together to take part in the Six Countries Charity Cycle - leaving from Edinburgh, the team will cycle through England, over to N Ireland, Eire, back to England, into Wales then down to London join up with The Fire Fighters Charity London to Paris Cycle Ride! The team, led by Garry Lees of Kelso Fire Station, with William MacDonald and Geoff Aird from Lothian & Borders HQ in Edinburgh, are already well on their way with their fundraising. They have bookings for collections in supermarkets all over the Borders and into Northumberland, and a visit to Kelso Racecourse at the weekend bringing in over £600 on that collection. Pictured here are, from the left - Jan Faltejsek, Bruce Watson, Graham Lee, Jim Blyth, Brian Hughes, Doug Harvey and Garry Lees. If you want to sponsor Garry and the team then please visit the justgiving website at: http://www.justgiving.com/Margaret-Barnes-Smith
Atacama Challenge
Ian Anderson of Dumfries and Galloway Fire & Rescue Service will be raising money for both The Fire Fighters Charity and the Oncology Unit at Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary by taking part in the Atacama Challenge in March. This is a 250km race across the Atacama - the driest desert in the world, which has seen no rain for over 500 years. It is used frequently by NASA as a testing area, because of its resemblance to the planet Mars. At 2400 metres above sea level, altitude sickness and a lack of oxygen are just two of the problems that runners may encounter. The race itself is a 7 day stage race with each stage ranging from 14 miles to over 50 miles per day! Competitors also have to carry all their equipment and food for the whole week in back-packs sometimes weighing up to 15kg. In January 2009, The Atacama Crossing was voted as the 2nd toughest event in the world behind the Dakar Rally by 'TIME' Magazine, so Ian really has his work cut out. Ian is training hard ready for the start on 7th March - we all wish him the very best of luck with his challenge.
The Big Pull!
Grampian fire fighter Paul Taylor is organising The Big Pull on 23rd April 2010 which will see fire fighters, RAF Gunners & Sansum Blackbelt Academy kickboxers pulling a fire engine and raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity and Help For Heroes. They will pull along a 3 mile route in Lossiemouth. All of the fire fighters and kickboxers have served in HM Forces and to ensure that they do it with maximum effort, Cpl Nooky Nauyokas (star of TV's 'Bad Lads Army) will 'encourage' them along the route. To support this event - please visit their Justgiving fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/FightersFireEnginePull and website: www.fightingfundraisers.org.uk
West Highland Way Cycle
Fire fighter Michael McFarlane from Calton Fire Station in Strathclyde will be cycling the West Highland Way from Fort William to Milngavie from Thursday 15th until Sunday 18th July 2010 - in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity. Together with friend David Fife, a TA member, Michael will be cycling 152km (95 miles) through different terrains, ranging from lowland moors, dense woodland and rolling hills, to high mountainous regions in the Scottish Highlands. A great challenge - all for a very worthwhile cause. Donations can be made at: www.justgiving.com/michael-mcfarlane
Loony Dook 2010
Karen Weir & Yvonne Robertson from OSC took part in the Loony Dook at South Queensferry on a very cold New Years Day. They raised a total of £509.80 split between The Fire Fighters Charity and the Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary, with a total of £305.88 going to The Fire Fighters Charity and they would like to say a very big thank you to all who sponsored them. In return, we would like to say a huge thank you to them for braving the elements in order to raise such a brilliant amount for our Charity. Well done Karen and Yvonne - hope you have thawed out!!
First Ever Kilomathon
Ross Lowrie of Strathclyde FRS (Helensburgh) is running the first ever Kilomathon in Nottingham on 14th March 2010 in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity. This is a 26.2km road race, the first in a series of events throughout the UK. To sponsor Ross and help him raise much needed funds for the Charity,please visit: www.justgiving.com/firefighterscharity-kilomathon. Good luck with the training and the fundraising Ross - and many thanks for supporting The Fire Fighters Charity.
Glasgow Christmas Collections
On 4th and 5th December, Christmas collections were held in Glasgow City Centre and Silverburn Shopping Centre - raising £2028.47 and £1401.37 respectively. A great achievement in these difficult economic times!!! Huge thanks go to Raymond Docherty and his team from Calton, Gary Wallace and the Cowcaddens helpers, Gordon Shaw from Pollok for arranging volunteers and the Community Safety team who handed out Heat Resistant Packs for Hair Straighteners as part of their new burn prevention initiative. Also - to the Strathclyde Cadets for all their enthusiastic help with the collections and the team of Carol Singer who gave their time freely and sung beautifully!! Also - thank you to Ros at Marks & Spencer, Silverburn for kindly donating refreshments. Merry Christmas to all of you.
Three Peaks Abseil Success!
On the 28th October 13 members of the White Watch from Tollcross Fire Station succeeded in their attempt to ascend and descend, on ropes, the accumulative height of the Three Peaks. This is a total height of 3407 meters. This was done from the top of the Sheraton Spa Hotel in Edinburgh City Centre. To date £1701.19 has been raised via Justgiving and a collection on the day, for The Fire Fighters Charity. Organiser, Fraser MacDonald said after the event: "We are all extremely proud of our achievement on the day, with everyone ascending and descending their allocated twelve times. Sore muscles all round!" Huge thanks to Fraser and his team for doing such a fantastic job. Thanks also go to photographer Katielee Arrowsmith of Deadline Press and Picture Agency, who kindly allowed us to publish the attached photo. Well done Tollcross White Watch - a superb effort and well worth all the muscle aches - thank you again.
Joe Harkins gets a Royal Seal of Approval
Stratchlyde FRS Crew Commander Joe Harkins recently attended an investiture at Buckingham Palace to receive the Queen's Fire Service Medal for his work on behalf of Fire Fighters. He founded the Retired Employees Association which involves retired Fire Fighters volunteering to help full-time crews in community safety work. His award was announced in June as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Joe is based at Clarkston Fire Station and was accompanied by his partner, Barbara McCormack and daughters Louise and Jill. As The Queen hung the medal on Joe, they chatted about Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, which he informed her, is the second largest brigade in Europe after London. Joe travels all over Scotland on behalf of The Fire Fighters Charity and is a highly regarded and respected member of the service. He enjoyed his day immensely and said: "It all went very smoothly - the whole investiture lasted around 2 hours. It was a day to remember and I look forward to the commemorative DVD so we can relive the experience". Well done and well deserved Joe - we are all extremely proud of you
Balloch M11 East and West Dunbartonshire Fundraising
Fire fighters from the Balloch M11 East and West Dunbartonshire area raised a total of £1,500 - a third of which was donated to The Fire Fighters Charity. They raised this amount by doing a sponsored walk up Ben Lomond and a race night. The guys hope to be climbing Ben Nevis next year as long as their blisters have healed in time! A fantastic effort and the Charity sends its' sincere thanks for this to all concerned. The photo shows Kevin Dixon of Garelochhead Fire Station accepting the cheque on behalf of the Charity.
Finnieston Crane Abseil 2009
On 12th September 2009, on a beautiful sunny day, almost 150 people abseiled off the 165 ft high Finnieston Crane, which overlooks the Clyde in Glasgow.
The event, part of the Rescue on the Clyde challenge event, hosted by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service, raised funds for both The Fire Fighters Charity and Erskine Hospital.
The event was facilitated by HART (High Access Rescue Team) whose expertise were evident throughout the day - big thanks to their brilliant team. To date, the event has raised in the region of £3,000 split between the two charities, and still counting! Special thanks to Raymond Docherty and Linda Coughlan who, with their volunteers, helped to make this event a success. We look forward to our next abseil in 2010 - watch this space!!
Run Clarey Run
Clare Elliott from Tain is back again to continue her tributes to her late partner, Nick Dunford by taking part in the New York Marathon on behalf of the Charity.
Claire tells us "This is a very personal event for me as my partner of 18 yrs who was a Group Manager in the HIFRS and, who had served a total of 20 years in the fire service died in 2007. The Charity was very supportive to me at that the most traumatic time of my life. This is my way of giving something back and I will be running in Nick Dunford's memory."
Most of Clare's fundraising has come from the fantastic support of her friends, family and colleagues from both the fire service and fellow teachers. Clare recently held a Curry Night in her local village hall and after raising a fantastic £910 Clare would like to offer the following thanks to: her mum, Glenmorangie Distillery, Tain Pottery, Anta Pottery, the Co-operative Supermarket, Lidls, Richie Bebb, Kate Collard, village hall committee, the village of Portmahomack and all friends family and volunteers who have offered brilliant support through out Clare's fundraising activities.
Clare has already raised £2,000 and still fundraising! Please visit Clare's just giving webpage and show your support.
Ladies Driving Challenge Knockhill 2009
Yet again, the ladies proved they were up to the challenge! On a sunny, but very blowy day at Knockhill, 64 participants enjoyed this event, which had been re-scheduled from April. An amazing £15,000 was raised (and still counting), with our 2 top fundraisers reaching £1048.60 (Rebecca Somerville) and £615 (Brenda Henderson) - who both won laps in a flaming red Ferrari at the end of the day.
Big thanks go to the fire service personnel and volunteers who made the day such a success, all of the participants who raised an amazing amount of money, the management and staff at Knockhill for their great support and all the vehicle suppliers and drivers, who made this such an enjoyable day for the ladies.
Full steam ahead for our next Ladies Driving Challenge scheduled for April 2010 - date and registration details to follow soon.
Lothian & Borders Cycle Event - France
William MacDonald, Geoff Aird, and Team from Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue Service have now completed their Marathon Cycle Event in France! They had a fantastic time and have raised lots of money - we'll be able to announce the final total soon!.
Autoglym National Car Wash - September 2009
£38,000 raised so far in Scotland (excluding Gift Aid) and still counting
Great Bernera Fire Station, in the Western Isles have managed to raise a tremendous £150. With only 200 in the community, this is a great achievement indeed - well done and thanks to Callum Ritchings and all the crew, and of course the community and friends of Great Bernera!
On the run... for Ewan
Bob Bocking, from Springburn Fire Station, Glasgow had already entered for the Mugdock Park10 Mile Trail Run on 12 September 2009. However, when Bob heard of Ewan Williamson’s tragic death, it made him determined not just to take part in the event - but to do it for a reason! Bob went on to enlist others from Strathclyde and found many who were more than eager to come on board - David Serrels, Michelle Hopkins, Rachel Stevenson were all joined by Crew Commander Ronnie McIntyre from Tolcross.
All monies raised will be shared between the Ewan Williamson Memorial Fund and The Fire Fighters Charity – the total raised so far £1,117 + Gift Aid and still counting!!!
Thank you to all who supported and sponsored Bob and his team – including a special thanks to Highlands & Islands FRS Sports & Social section, Strathclyde NW Glasgow, Control, Training Centre, Maryhill, Stepps retained, FBU London, Parkhead, Springburn and Paddington Fire Station London. Bob said "Although I never met Ewan, I heard he was keen on fitness so thought he would appreciate this one. My thanks to all the runners, who did an amazing job - it’s a tribute to Ewan, who died doing a job he loved."
White Watch at Tollcross undertake Three Peaks Abseil!
On 28th October, 13 members of the White Watch from Tollcross Fire Station will attempt to ascend and descend, on ropes, the accumulative height of the Three Peaks. This is a total height of 3407 meters! This is being attempted not in the wilds but at the Sheraton Hotel Spa building in Edinburgh. Money raised from justgiving.com/three-peaks-abseil will go towards The Fire Fighters Charity. Here's hoping for good weather on the day and a long lie in the morning after! Please support White Watch by donating at: www.justgiving.com/three-peaks-abseil
Summer and Autumn Flag Day Collections
Stations from all over the Highlands and Islands are taking to the streets collecting for The Fire Fighters Charity. Some stations (because of location or weather) will be doing a Flag day instead of a Car Wash - and others are choosing to do both! Thanks for a tremendous effort all round to our Fire Service personnel for giving up their time and of course to the communities for their support!
An enormous thanks from Hearts and The Fire Fighters Charity
Heart of Midlothian Football Club (Hearts) and The Fire Fighters Charity thanks supporters who attended last Sunday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game against Rangers after a staggering £5,351.19 was raised in memory of local fire fighter Ewan Williamson. Ewan sadly died fighting a fire in The Balmoral Bar in Dalry Road and so supporters of both Hearts and Rangers dug extremely deep for a record-breaking collection outside the stadium.
Ewan had played his part in saving 20 people the night he died, including a baby, and his actions clearly moved the 16,300 supporters who attended the match at Tynecastle Stadium. A Hearts spokesperson said, "This is a magnificent sum of money and we are delighted to have raised such a significant amount for the Charity.Everyone at Tynecastle would like to extend our warmest thanks to supporters of BOTH teams on Sunday for the remarkable generosity shown in memory of Ewan, a local lad who ultimately gave his life for others. It is very clear that nobody at Tynecastle - or indeed Ibrox - will forget Ewan. And that's how it should be."
The monies raised will go toward funding the Charity's therapy and rehabilitation services, which support the thousands of UK fire fighters that are injured each year. A big thank you to everyone who helped raise this fantastic sum in memory of Ewan.
Well done Tobermory Fire Station!
Tobermory Fire Station were shortlisted for the 'Station of the Year' award at the 2009 Spirit of Fire Awards. Willie Hume, pictured right with his wife and daughter, was proud and delighted to represent the station at the awards. Since then the station have held a Car Wash in aid of the Charity and raised a fantastic £494! As they can't take part in the National Car Wash on 19th September, they held their Car Wash a little early so this is the first result in! Well done and many thanks again.
Kelso Fire Station: Spirit of Fire Station of the Year Award Winners 2009
A huge well done and congratulations to Kelso Fire Station who scooped the 'Station of the Year' award at The Spirit of Fire Awards 2009. Kelso Fire Station is a small fire station with a big heart. The staff there are dedicated to helping the local community, whether it be responding to emergencies or carrying out fire safety talks and awareness campaigns. They are so proud of The Fire Fighters Charity and the service it provides, that throughout their daily business they try to promote the Charity and the many events it stages.
Their dedication to fundraising over the years has lead them to hold a whole host of different events, including dances, quizzes, race nights, water events, open days, and sponsored walks to name just a few. This year they held a cycling event that raised in excess of £13,000 for the Charity. Their enthusiasm is infectious and their team spirit enables them to achieve anything they set out to do.
Ladies Driving Challenge! The re-scheduled date for the Ladies Driving Challenge at Knockhill, is Sunday 26th September 2009 - book your place now!
The Five Countries Challenge - Completed!
Sunday, 21st September 2008 saw nine fire fighters from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service cycle 600 miles through five countries within a week. The challenge was in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity and they raised a grand total of £5,005.81! Well done and congratulations to all - a fantastic achievement. Good luck with your new Cycle Ride event from Dunkirk to Marseilles later this year.
Pictured L-R: John Hanlin, Willie MacDonald, Lynne Gow., Alex Clark, Margaret Barnes Smith (The Fire Fighters Charity) Geoff Aird and Dougie Harvey.
Well done!
So far, £50,078 (including Gift Aid) has been banked for the September fundraisers from Scotland - what a fantastic achievement! Many thanks to our all stations, crews and fire service personnel who took part and put on car washes, open days, and other events to bring us to this top regional total!!!! Certificates of thanks have now been sent out to all stations and will be with you shortly. Thank you for making this a great result!
Inverness Fire Station Open Day - 2nd August 2008
Last year's Inverness Fire Station Open Day event raised a total of £4,934 for The Fire Fighters Charity. It was by far the busiest open day anyone can remember with queues extending down 100 metres for most of the day.
This is an excellent total especially given that most of the attractions were free. All the stalls were very profitable and massive thanks goes to all those who volunteered in the organisation of the event and supervising and assisting at the bouncy castles, bungy slide, home baking, plant stall, bottle stall, lucky dip, CFS stall, raffle, play your cards right, merchandise, burgers and drinks, hosereel target practice, face painting and tattoos.
A special thank you to Red Watch for their fire fighting demonstration, and overall assistance on the day, as well as representatives from training who carried out the RTC Demo.
Without the help of volunteers from all Wholetime, Civilian, Workshops and Retained the event would have been impossible to stage.
Fundraising Event
September 2008 brings a cycling challenge to John McQuade of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service. He will bravely be cycling 956 miles from John O'Groats to Lands End in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity and the Family Support Trust. To show your support to John and his chosen charities please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/johnmcquade
The SKYDIVING event at Strathallan Airfield, with only four participants, raised an amazing net fundraising income for the charity of £1,641.44!!! A big thank you to our Tandem participants, Shiree Craig and Stacy Bond from Alloa (Christine Hay's hairdressers! - thanks Christine!) and Catherine Skinner and Dawn Fraser from Invergordon and Barbaraville, in Ross-shire! Well done on completing the challenge and raising much more than the mimimum asked for the Charity!
Ladies Driving Challenge at Knockhill breaks records again
This year's Ladies Driving Challenge held on Sunday 27th April at Knockhill Racing Circuit raised nearly £22,000 net for The Fire Fighters Charity. This is the highest amount recorded for the event and is a testament to the hard work of all involved. The facilities at Knockhill were provided free of charge along with all the vehicles and refreshments for the day. The day was hot and sunny and included a ride in a Ferrari for the Top Fundraisers.
Discount for all Fire Service Personnel!
KNOCKHILL RACING CIRCUIT, Dunfermline, Fife, are offering a DISCOUNT OF 5% to All Fire Service personnel throughout the UK – for further information, please contact Stuart Gray, Manager of Knockhill Racing Circuit, confirming to him your Brigade and position. For details of future events at Knockhill, please contact 01383 723337 or visit the website at www.knockhill.com
Forthcoming Events
Please visit the Events Calendar for more details on Scotland or Nationwide events.
Corporate Sponsorship
The following companies and organisations have generously supported The Fire Fighters Charity and the Fire Services of Scotland through highly appreciated sponsorship initiatives.
- Knockhill Racing Circuit, Dunfermline - www.knockhill.co.uk
- Autoglym - www.autoglym.co.uk
- Purvis Group - www.purvisgroup.co.uk
- Ainscough - www.ainscough.co.uk
- Caledonian Lifting Services - www.caledonianliftingservices.co.uk
- Costco - www.costco.co.uk
- Simon Howies - www.thescottishbutcher.com
- Cappers Plant Hire - www.cappersplanthire.com
- Asda - www.asda.co.uk
- Crowne Plaza, Glasgow
- Scaffold Contracts Ltd., Coarbridge
'Don't Give Fire a Home'
Visit the 'Don't Give Fire a Home' Scottish Fire Safety site today by clicking the link here.