Fleet Bay rescue service launches fundraiser to return to the water
New fundraising campaign aims to raise £60,000 for safety upgrades.
Last updated 21st Jan 2026
Fleet Bay Inshore Rescue Service has launched a fundraising campaign to raise around £60,000 and return to action this year.
The service has operated in Fleet Bay and Wigtown Bay since 1974, when Kerr McConchie established it.
However, it faced suspension at the end of 2023 after no longer meeting safety regulations under The Rescue Boat Code.
Over the last year, £80,000 has been raised, with the latest campaign aiming to secure the remaining funds needed to restore the service to an operational standard.
What the funding will support
The new funds will contribute towards purchasing a lifeboat that conforms to modern safety codes, upgrading the boathouse, acquiring new equipment for crew members, and undertaking training. A launch vehicle is also needed to ensure operations can resume.
Trustee Duncan McConchie, who has been a crew member since he joined as an 18-year-old in 1997, says it’s paramount that the service is up and running sooner rather than later:
“Alternatively, the next nearest lifeboat to the Bays, which we cover, is Kirkcudbright, and they take anything between 45 minutes to an hour to get here, which in the sea, especially at this time of year, can really be a matter of life and death.”
How to support
The Fleet Bay Inshore Rescue Service depends on community contributions to reach its target, with donations of any amount warmly welcomed.
According to the launch appeal for the campaign, “Every £1 or £10 helps. Please share far and wide, and we hope, by 2026, Fleet Bay Inshore Rescue Service will be back on the water.”
The team is urging supporters to spread the word about the fundraiser.
McConchie says reaching their goal will make a huge difference:
“If we can reach our fundraising target, it means we can buy our new boat, it means we can have the Coast Guard over from Belfast in early May to assess our service, and hopefully, then, we can become a declared facility once again.
“The sooner we get back onto full service, the sooner we are back to being tasked by the Coast Guard. It means that the Bays of Fleet Bay and Wigtown Bay become safer for water and coastal users.
“The hope is that the Fleet Bay Inshore Rescue Service will become an all-year-round water rescue service for the Bays of Fleet Bay and Wigtown Bay, but there’s a lot of work to do in a short period of time. So, fingers crossed that we can raise the funds we need to get back in the water.”
For more details on progress so far and how you can help, Fleet Bay Inshore Rescue Service has shared its funding prospectus here.
Donations can be made directly via their Just Giving campaign.
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