Egremont's charity challenge heads across the border

Egremont Fire Station devised the bucket challenge last year, which involved the crew and supporters passing a bucket of water between one another on a nine-mile route to Whitehaven Harbour.

The seven-hour challenge in October raised £2,500 for The Firefighters Charity, which offers specialist, lifelong support for the UK’s fire service community.

Now with the support of the charity, the Egremont crew has linked up with their counterparts at Gretna Fire Station for the handover of a commemorative bucket, which the team at Gretna will use for their own fundraising challenges. 

The bucket will then be handed over to Gretna’s neighbouring station at Annan before heading around Scotland, then back down to Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service to begins its fundraising tour around England.

Egremont’s Station Manager Willy Watson, Watch Manager Dave McDowell and Firefighters Shaun Agnew and Ryan Fitzwilliam visited Gretna Fire Station for the handover on the England/Scotland border.

WM McDowell said: “It’s nice to think that an idea that started in Egremont has crossed the border into Scotland and then will be rolled out across other areas in the UK. We are asking all the fire services who use the bucket for fundraising to add their logo to the bucket, and we look forward to following the progress as it travels around the country.”

** As part of a ‘Mega March’ of fundraising for The Firefighters Charity, car washes will be held at Cockermouth Fire Station, Booths at Windermere and Booths at Penrith on Saturday, March 23; and at Carlisle East Fire Station and Whitehaven Fire Station on Saturday, March 30.