Murray’s walk raises just under £2k for RNLI

Papdale Primary School’s Murray Budge was joined by his classmates and a few school staff on the final stretch of his month-long walking fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on Wednesday 31 March.

Much to Murray’s delight, he was then accompanied by members of the local lifeboat crew on a “bonus” addition to the challenge on Saturday 3 April – when they completed a lap of the Peedie Sea and the full length of Kirkwall’s main thoroughfare armed with a bucket for donations – ending at the Kirkwall Lifeboat Station for a cheque presentation.

Murray walked all 31 days of March – completing a 129-mile challenge – equivalent to leaving from Kirkwall Lifeboat Station and visiting every station in Orkney, before ending back at the Kirkwall station. For his efforts, he raised £1870 which will be going to the local restricted fund of Kirkwall RNLI. In addition, the bucket raised a further £94.52, which will be donated to the general RNLI fund.

Murray, 11, from Kirkwall, who plans to apply to join the lifeboat service as soon as he is eligible, was delighted with the total.

“I had hoped to raise £150 so I’m really happy that I managed to get a lot more. I’m a bit sore but not too bad.”

Murray, P7, was inspired to follow in the footsteps of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore when he launched the walking fundraiser and chose the RNLI as they are a sea-faring family.

Murray was usually accompanied on his daily walks by his mum, Nicky and younger brother, Sigurd, 9 – dad Magnus has been working abroad with Maersk shipping company so was unable to take part.

Nicky, a kitchen assistant at Papdale Primary, said: “We have been blown away by people’s generosity and are delighted with the total raised. We just want to say a big thank you to everyone. The boys got an extra surprise when the lifeboat crew gave them a goodie bag and Murray was given an embroidered polo shirt with ‘well done Murray’ and the Kirkwall Lifeboat Station emblem on it.

“It was so nice seeing folk donating in the bucket – and felt like a bit of normality!”

Graham Campbell, Kirkwall Lifeboat 2nd mechanic, said: “As a serving volunteer crewman at Kirkwall RNLI, I am always amazed by the generosity and support of the public. Being a charity, we rely fully on donations and like all other charities, we have struggled with fundraising over the last 12 months due to Covid-19.

“For an 11-year-old Kirkwall lad, Murray Budge, to be inspired and to follow in the footsteps of the lat Captain Sir Tom Moore by launching his own fundraiser and walking 129 miles is truly amazing and all at Kirkwall Lifeboat are very thankful for his efforts and support.”

Murray Budge hands over the cheque to Stewart Ryrie of Kirkwall Lifeboat. From the left are: Ingram Dearness, Stewart, Mike Cooper, Paul Turner, Davie Flett, Murray, Aly Drever, Graham Campbell, Kate Irvine Lewis and John Tulloch. (Photos: Orkney Photographic).

Murray was joined by members of the local Lifeboat crew on a bonus bucket collection to his fundraising walk.