Honours for top RNLI fundraiser Sandra

Last month, Sandra attended the RNLI’s Scottish annual meeting at Perth to receive a a bar added to the Gold Badge presented in 2010 for her dedicated fundraising efforts as part of the RNLI New Year Honours List.
Sandra, 73, said: “I became the RNLI convenor for Annan in 1982.
“At first I just organised the annual collection, then I was asked if I would go out talking about the work of the RNLI to groups.”
She added: “At these talks souvenirs get sold, so I began selling them as well.
“So many people asked for the Christmas cards that it was decided to have a coffee morning each year.”
The RNLI have now started going into schools to talk to children about water safety.
As a result, Sandra became a Youth Speaker, teaching children about the ‘SAFE’ policy.
It stands for ‘Spot the danger’, ‘take Advice’, ‘go with a Friend or Family member’, and ‘learn what to do in an Emergency’.
Sandra said: “The RNLI is wholly funded by donations, fundraising and legacies as they do not receive any government funding, so it is vital that the work goes on.
“Each year it takes over £150 million to run the RNLI and I am only one of thousands of volunteers who help raise this money.”
She added: “Ninety-five per cent of the staff from crew members, fundraisers, lifeguards and those giving safety advice are volunteers, so very little of what is donated is used to pay staff.”
Even in 2010, when she received her Gold Award, Sandra spoke about stepping down from her role.
However, she said: “Nobody else will do it.”