Community support hailed as Buckie BBs raise £19k from anniversary celebrations
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GENEROUS community support has seen 1st Buckie Company Boys' Brigade raise a stunning five-figure sum from their recent 75th anniversary celebrations.
From Friday to Sunday, November 4-6 saw the company hold a weekend-long exhibition of memorabilia along with a parade and church service – during which they were officially presented with their Queen's Award for Voluntary Service by Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire Andrew Simpson.
There was also fundraising afoot, including a stationary cycle event outside the church.
Overall fundraising efforts inspired by the anniversary have netted the company the amazing sum of just over £19,000.
Company Captain Alan McIntosh hailed the massive response from the local community which will help the organisation move to their new home at One Marchmont Business Centre this month.
He said: "The feeling was that we were going to have to spend a lot of money in the move to Marchmont.
"However, with the cost of living crisis we also didn't want to target parents again when it came to fundraising and as part of that we've kept our annual fees down.
"We therefore felt we had to do something based around our 75th anniversary celebrations. One of the things we decided to do was target businesses and we got a very good response to the letters we sent out, we were absolutely delighted with it.
"The support we received from business was alongside the fundraising weekend at the church as well as the finale of our duck race at the Buckie Christmas Kracker, which itself raised around £2500."
The final total, though, was to leave Captain McIntosh and his colleagues stunned.
"I was totally shocked as to the amount we've raised," he continued.
"It's opened doors for us in terms of relationships with local businesses, with many offering to come back and help us again in the future.
"1st Buckie Company Boys' Brigade prides itself on being part of the community so when the community supports us like this, it's just wonderful.
"We're very grateful to everyone who has helped us raise this sum."
Most of the cash raised will be directed towards the company's new home at Marchmont one way or another. Among the items already identified are new gymnastic benchs, whiteboards, crash mats, a general equipment upgrade and supporting subsidiary activities for the boys.
To keep up with 1st Buckie Company news and events, follow their Facebook page.
The Buckie arm of the Boys' Brigade was founded by James Duncan and the seed planted has not only endured but flourished into one of the biggest BB companies in the UK.
