Norq From Ork

Living in Orkney I have become only too aware of how vital the RNLI are.  Orkney Beef was a lifeboat volunteer for some time and when he married me he moved away from shout distance and was unable to be a lifeboat man anymore.  Readers it was a close call!  He was very torn as he loved being on the lifeboat crew and was sad he was unable to continue volunteering due to distance.  I used struggle when I heard his pager went off though as I knew the risks each and every lifeboatman or woman was taking to  help others. He absolutely loved  it though and valued his role and being a man of the sea all his life knows only to well the value of it.

In 1969 the Longhope Lifeboat was lost during a rescue and all the crew lost with her.  Orkney Beef’s father was a volunteer on the Stronsay lifeboat and  was out that fateful day, along with serval other local lifeboats looking for the missing one. It was a desperate time and there is now a museum in Hoy to remember the brave men who were lost. (A link to further reading is at the bottom)

The RNLI are on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year and always willing.  They do a job many of us wouldn’t want to do and get no pay for it.  So when I saw a fundraising initiative coming up I decided to give it a go.

Starting Monday I will be taking part in the RNLI sponsored H2Only campaign and will be drinking only water for ten days. I don’t drink coffee anyway so won’t miss that, but I do drink copious amounts of redbush tea which I will be forfeiting for the duration. There will be no fizzy drinks, hot chocolate (another favourite), or gin. Only water. I WILL be eating though; some people thought I was going to be skipping food as well, but this is just the drink. I don’t think the world is ready for me to go without food for that length of time.

It was something I gave some serious thought to as I didn’t want to sign up and not finish it.  However, I thought about how many people around the world don’t even have water to drink and what a luxury it is not a hardship. Once I got my priorities straight it wasn’t too difficult to sign up to do it.

I would be really grateful for anyone willing to sponsor this very worthy cause.  How about  donating the price of a cup of coffee or a can of juice? more if you can afford.  If you’re willing and able then please click on my just giving page in the link below.  It all makes a difference and the next time a lifeboat pager goes off let’s hope these brave volunteers stay safe once again.

Please click-through to support the RNLI on my just giving page here thank you.

The story of the Longhope Lifeboat disaster can be found here

If you would like to join the H2Only campaign you can sign up here

I’ll keep you updated on my progress.  Wish me luck!

My water bottle at the ready.