A NEW ambulance is on the cards for Nith Inshore Rescue after they secured funding of £96,555.
It is made up of £76,555 from the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Communities Fund and £20,000 from St John Scotland.
And it means they can replace their 20-year-old Land Rover Ambulance, which was originally donated by St John Scotland, with a new specially fit-out INEOS Grenadier.
The funds will also help start an urgently required significant refit of the much-loved St John Lifeboat.
However, they still need £40,000 more to complete the full overdue ten-year lifeboat refit to ensure it is fit for purpose for another decade.
Treasurer Gwilym Gibbons said: “The combination of both grants enables Nith Inshore Rescue to update, enhance and secure our ability to respond to callouts without ageing equipment issues impacting our response. Most significantly, the funding will enable us to improve the safety of our volunteer crew when responding both by road with our small lifeboat in tow and by sea when launching our St John Lifeboat.”
He also gave an update on their recent appeal for regular donors and said: “We have been overwhelmed by the swift and generous response from all those who have signed up to donate sums between £2 and £10 per month via our JustGiving page.
“We have received nearly £1000 worth of monthly sign-ups, which is nearly 25 per cent of the target in just a few weeks; we have also received several one-off donations, which are all greatly appreciated.”
Chairman Laurie Irving added: “If you can help, please sign up, we still need your support.”
