Family-owned Scotch whisky and premium spirits specialist, Gordon & MacPhail, has raised £12,500 for Moray Inshore Rescue Operation (MIRO) as part of the business’s commitment to supporting the local community.
MIRO, which was nominated by Gordon & MacPhail colleagues to be the company’s chosen charity partner for 2023, was formed in July of 2005 when it became apparent that there was a real need for a dedicated rescue service to cover Findhorn Bay and its approaches.
Now, from its base at Findhorn Boatyard and Marina, MIRO operates a Category C Inshore Rescue Boat, and is tasked by The Maritime Coastguard Agency to respond to incidents within Findhorn Bay and the inshore waters of the Moray Firth between Burghead and Nairn. The operation is manned entirely by volunteers who give up their time to train, raise funds and save lives.
As part of their fundraising activities this year, a group of Gordon & MacPhail colleagues undertook a 40-mile trek from Spey Bay to the company’s newest distillery, The Cairn, located in the Cairngorms National Park.
This concluded the Speyside section of the Moray Way. The Dava Way was completed by the team in 2021, and The Moray Coast Trail in 2022, finished with the Speyside way in 2023, accumulating to a total of over 100 miles.
The company also arranged a host of other fundraising activities, such as participating in The Beast Race, golf days and raffles.
Assistant project manager and member of the Fundraising Committee, Rebecca Wood, said: “At Gordon & MacPhail we are committed to fundraising for a different charity annually with the aim of making a difference to local organisations and helping to support members of our community.
“Moray Inshore Rescue Operation provides an invaluable service to the community, being entirely volunteer run, their team selflessly give up their own time to do incredible work and save lives. We’re delighted to have raised a total of £12,500 and honoured to play a small part in helping their services continue.”
Chairman of MIRO, John Low, said: “We are extremely grateful to Gordon & MacPhail for choosing MIRO to be their charity of the year. We are completely dependent on fundraising to enable us to run our lifesaving service. This significant sum of money raised by Gordon & MacPhail staff will help us to maintain our operational capacity and ultimately save lives
“On behalf of all MIRO volunteers, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the fundraising activities and the many people who sponsored them. Your enthusiasm and efforts have been outstanding, and we really do appreciate your support.”
In previous years Gordon & MacPhail has raised £16,000 for Moray Fresh Start and £11,000 for Moray Women’s Aid through various fundraising initiatives such as craft sales, quizzes, bake sales, colleague donations and corporate match funding.
