My Dad was a member of the RNLI for nearly 15 years. It was a huge part of his life and he was incredibly proud of being a volunteer. We are both from Kirkwall, Orkney and while it maybe isn’t the biggest of stations it certainly didn’t mean that it was quiet.

Over the years my dad assisted on countless shouts, mainly as the first-aider, despite the fact his day to day job was an electrician. On more than one occasion my dad gave life saving care to those who needed it most, out of the goodness of his own heart.

He could sail in some stressful conditions, but always without complaint if it was to provide help to those at sea. He would be the first to step forward, and usually the first to be chosen if it was a particularly difficult incident.

Dad always responded to a page, and sometimes he was out the door so quickly a puff of air is all that would be left in his place. It was very rare for Dad to not have his pager on him, even at family meals, work or parent nights! I have many a funny story of him rushing out the door (and sometimes landing flat on his face in the rush).

Unfortunately, in 2021, Dad passed away at the age of 49. This was not only a huge shock to me, but everyone in the community too. He was always described as a “big guy”, both in height but in personality too. He gave so much to his community and was well known and loved by many.

I’m choosing to run for the RNLI in memory of my Dad, and everything that he stood for and was passionate about. Without people as brave, compassionate and driven like my Dad, the RNLI would cease to exist. I want to help to give back to my community in a way that I know he would be proud of.