Colleagues in the Scottish Government undertook a raft of Spring fundraisers in support of The Lifeboat Fund.   A total of £3,500 has been raised so far!

Bianca Fischer, the RNLI's Fundraising and Communications Manager for London and the South East said: "This is magnificent. The Scottish Government's support for the RNLI and our crews by supporting The Lifeboat Fund is so very much appreciated!"

The week including Wednesday 4 May saw a massive push:

• 'Get Fit for a Kit' - the team led by Susie Macdonald, aimed to raise £1200 to buy a full, all-weather lifeboat kit by encouraging colleagues to walk, jog, swim, cycle, run and row - while joggers took part, on terra firma and on treadmills (others held a putting contest). The Lifeboat Fund's Chair (SG's Permanent Secretary), Sir Peter Housden, got proceedings going at 7am with a mini triathlon - see picture, above.  In the event, the total raised was over £1560; colleagues 'got fit' while raising money by covering a distance of 225 miles!
• colleagues held a terrific "Carnival of the Sea" fundraiser at Pacific Quay (see picture, at right) - 2 fun-filled hours, with coconut shy, ice cream, Capital Radio, rubber ducks, fancy dress, the ever popular 'soaking board' and more besides, raised over £1,100 - well done to Laura Mackie and her hard-working team!
• Other colleagues held coffee mornings and cake stalls, with other fun and games; another - Colin Reeves - generously named The Lifeboat Fund as the beneficiary of his collection on retiring from the government service; and our canteen providers, Sodexo, very kindly donated profits from their yummy salmon dish, created for the 4 May event - and continue to host collecting boxes in all their canteens.

Further events:

• an eager team of cyclists raised sponsorship riding from our Leith office to the Lifeboat Station at South Queensferry on May 13.
• Marine Scotland's team of runners for The Lifeboat Fund took part in Edinburgh's marathon festival, on May 21-22, raising over £2,156.
• Our colleague, Tim Simons, and his doughty Cub Pack raised over £1,100 on a sponsored walk in aid of The Fund.