Boat bought by Fleetwood aid helps in crisis

A boat which was bought for a fishing village in Sri Lanka by the town of Fleetwood in response to the 2004 tsunami has helped save lives in a recent flood disaster.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Jun 2017, 17:20 BST

Updated 5th Jun 2017, 17:21 BST

The vessel, called Shakespeare, was acquired after a remarkable community effort in Fleetwood raised an impressive £22,500 by collections from people in the town.

Back in 2004, a huge community response was launched in Fleetwood involving the town’s Fish Forum, local businesses, schools, churches, Freemasons, Lions, Rotary, community groups and individuals.

The Fish Forum wanted one fishing community to help out another, in this case the South West Sri Lankan village of Madiha.

The organising committee was chaired by Margaret Lund, the former head teacher of Shakespeare Primary School and a member of Fleetwood Rotary Club.

Thanks to this money, coordinators over in Madiha were able to buy seven fishing boats and other essentials.

Margaret said: “The boat Shakespeare has come out of retirement to help distribute vital aid after the monsoon floods.”