Northlink Ferries Mv Hjaltland Crew Raises Over £4,800 For Clan Cancer Support

13th March 2023

Serco NorthLink Ferries staff have raised over £4,800 in support of Clan, a charity supporting those affected by cancer across north-east Scotland.

Staff on board and ashore - led by Kathryn Fullerton, Retail Supervisor on the MV Hjaltland - carried out fundraising activities over the course of last year to gather funds for the charity.

Efforts included a sponsored walk, Sunday tea fundraiser and festive raffle. In addition, staff sold NorthLink merchandise, hoodies, T-shirts, and mugs - made locally in the Islands - and gathered cash on board through bucket donation collections.

NorthLink staff support a specific charity partner each year, with Clan Cancer Support chosen as the charity partner for 2022. The funds will go towards providing lifeline services to people and families across Moray, Orkney, and Shetland.

Billy Robb, Customer Service Director for Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: "We are thrilled that our colleagues raised this amount for Clan Cancer Support - a fantastic charity which carries out vital work helping people across the north-east affected by cancer.

"Clan is a charity which is close to the heart of the Northern Isles community and many people know at least one person who has benefitted from its services. I'd like to thank everyone who has taken part in fundraising activities or made a donation, with special thanks to Kathryn Fullerton, known to many of our customers as our Retail Supervisor on MV Hjaltland, who organised the fundraiser. I hope that it will go towards helping the charity as it continues to support the wider community."

Alana Welsh, mainland community development coordinator for Clan Cancer Support, said: "We're incredibly grateful to Kathryn and the Serco Northlink Ferries team for this fantastic donation. They have shown real commitment and drive with their fundraising efforts over the last year and the money raised will help Clan support local people affected by cancer across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland."

About NorthLink Ferries
Serco has operated the Northern Isles service since July 2012 providing scheduled lifeline passenger and freight services to the Northern Isles.

Named ‘Best Ferry' at the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards 2016, NorthLink Ferries operates throughout the year with the MV Hamnavoe operating to Orkney on the Pentland Firth and MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey sailing to Orkney and Shetland from Aberdeen. MV Hildasay and MV Helliar provide regular timetabled freight services to both Shetland and Orkney. NorthLink Ferries has offices in Aberdeen, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stromness and Scrabster.

The Hjaltland and Hrossey ferries sail every evening from Aberdeen and Lerwick in Shetland and have 117 en-suite cabins along with eateries, bars and retail shops showcasing the very best of island produce. The MV Hamnavoe, which has an excellent array of services on-board, provides a swift and reliable 90-minute crossing on the Pentland Firth, and offers a unique opportunity to sail past the Old Man of Hoy as it travels between Stromness in Orkney and the Caithness town of Scrabster.

More than just a business, we view ourselves as a member of the local community, serving key sectors within the Northern Isles economies. These include the agriculture, aquaculture and tourism markets, carrying the equivalent of over 43,000 freight trailers and over 300,000 passengers per year. This demonstrates the integral part played by the ferry provider working daily with stakeholders in all aspects of the operation.

This community integration, as well as support of the local economy, is important to us and we are therefore proud to purchase over 84% of products for our passengers to enjoy on-board from suppliers based within 50 miles of our operating ports. This has the added benefit of reducing the distances our deliveries have to travel, thereby reducing our environmental impact.

For further information visit www.northlinkferries.co.uk

About Serco
Serco is an international service company, which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos.

Around the world, we improve essential services by managing people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. We advise policy makers, design innovative solutions, integrate systems and - most of all - deliver to the public.

More information can be found at www.serco.com