CalMac’s new charity link

Disadvantaged young people living in seafaring communities are set to benefit from a £5,000 grant from ferry operator CalMac.

CalMacs Director of Community and Stakeholder Relations Brian Fulton (L) presents the donation to Society Chairman, Michael Abram.

The west coast company has made the donation to the Sailors’ Orphan Society of Scotland to help fund their work.

As well as supporting young people living in coastal towns, the charity is also committed to feeding, clothing and educating children of deceased seafarers.

CalMac’s director of community and stakeholder engagement , Brian Fulton, said: “In their 130th year it seemed a very good fit to make a meaningful donation to support the valuable work they do with young people. CalMac is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the communities we serve, so it is a logical step for us to help charities who support people within these communities.”

The Sailors’ Orphan Society Scotland was established in 1889 and initially focused on running children’s homes for orphans. By 1907, 545 children were being cared for in homes. Today, the focus of the society has shifted from residential homes to giving grants to support young people in the community. They currently support 47 individuals with grants of £110 a month.

Chairman of the society, Michael Abram, said: “We are currently looking at ways of increasing our funding streams to finance and sustain our work for the future, so this donation is extremely timely and we will be using it to support our core work with young people in seafaring communities.”