Hi, I am Bob, I’m 42, and live in Dumfries. I had a great job which I loved, working at a local company in Lockerbie as a machine operator and unloading lorries, which kept me very active and gave me a great social life while working shifts.

Outside of work I played football with mates and was often seen on the golf course. Unfortunately, in 2016 I had a bad accident at work where I fell from height and broke my back and shattered the disc’s. I spent months in hospital recovering and a few years with a physiotherapist to learn how to walk again. I was in a wheelchair for 2 years.

Since the accident, I can’t walk without the aid of crutches. I can no longer work, and It’s been a bad time for me, spending months in hospital and being housebound and feeling like a prisoner in my own home.

But in 2018 My luck started to change; a friend convinced me to join them and go fly fishing which I ended up falling in love with it. Things continued to get better and months later I found myself competing in a competition where I came 5th qualifying me to become a member of the Scotland Disabled Fly-Fishing Team. I was over the moon!

Championships were due to take place in June 2020 at the Lake of Menteith in Stirling but were cancelled due to Covid-19. Over the past two years I have continued to travel the 220 miles, 4 hours round trip to attend the practice and training required to continue to compete at this level, funding it purely by myself, which has been very difficult as I only receive disability benefits.

The championships are now set to take place this year in June 2022, and with the cost of fuel continually rising I am struggling to fund the remaining necessary trips to Stirling to train with the team. I am extremely honoured to be supporting my country in the Scotland Disabled Fly-Fishing Championships and am a very proud independent man, but I am asking for your help and support to help with my travel cost, with 8 weeks to go, and two trips per week, your contribution would help immensely.

£5 Will get me to Moffat

£10 Will get me to Lesmehagow

£15 Will get me to Cumbernauld

£30 Will get me to Lake of Menteith

£45 Will get me there and back again

Any amount is greatly appreciated and would help towards providing the fuel required for me to travel to the Lake of Menteith and back every week.