Disability charity takes home loot from Lerwick event

Shetland Sport for All were the big winners at this year’s Loot for Lerwick event in Islesburgh.

The annual event, held by the Lerwick Community Council, took place on Saturday morning and gave members of the public the chance to decide which charities should benefit from a share of £5000.

Six groups were in attendance at Saturday’s event, ranging from charities to the Bressay Park Run, but it was Shetland Sport for All who received the lion-share of the votes and the £1000 they had been asking for.

The charity’s chairwoman Donna Murray said that she was “so chuffed” to receive the public’s backing, particularly in a week where they have also received a grant of £2000 from the Robertson Trust’s “Wee Grants for Wee Groups”.

“It’s been a really successful week,” she said.

“This is going to make a huge difference to us.”

The group are planning to put the money towards buying their first adapted bike for people with mobility issues in the isles to use, and Ms Murray said that the more fundraising that they did, the more mobility bikes they could buy.

“It’s thousands for a bike, so it’s far too much for most families to afford.”

Shetland Sport for All held a disability bike event in the summer which allowed people of all ages to try out adapted bikes and trikes over a weekend, and Ms Murray said she hoped that if they could get their own adapted bikes that could be expanded into “monthly events”.

Of the £5000 fund, Shetland Sport for All, Autism Friendly Shetland, the Bressay Park Run and the Lerwick Boating Club each received £1000, while Ability Shetland received the full £630 that they had asked for to go towards organising a knitting group for adults with learning disabilities.

The North Staney Hill Community Association received the remaining £370 to go towards activities to be held in the hall over the winter.

More in next Friday’s edition of The Shetland Times.