Lord Lieutenant presents Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medals to East Sutherland's inshore rescue volunteers, saying they are for 'courage as much as service'
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Four members of East Sutherland Rescue Service (ESRA) have been presented with Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medals by Major General Patrick Marriott, Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland.
The special commemorative medals are being awarded to all members, retained or volunteers, of emergency service, who have five or more years service. Between them the four ESRA members have a total of 75 years' service.
The presentation took place towards the end of a carol service held at Dornoch Cathedral on Saturday afternoon as part of the town's Christmas festival day.
Major General Marriott presented the medals to ESRA co-founder Neil Dalton who has 40 years' service; Christine Graham (50); Antony Hope (10), and Gareth Dixon (10).
The Lord Lieutenant paid a touching tribute to the ESRA volunteers, telling the assembled gathering: "The medals are for varying degrees of time - however many years they have served - which in itself is a fantastic tribute to these people.
"But behind that length of service there rests one great quality which they might be embarrassed to own up to – one that stands head and shoulders above the rest – and that is courage. Without courage little can be achieved in adversity.
"It is easy to get out of bed when it is a beautiful day out there, but getting out of bed in the middle of the night when it is dark and raining, and you are going out to sea where a storm is blowing, that takes more courage. When you have got to launch a flimsy craft into the surf, that takes courage, and to do that time and time again takes courage.
"These medals are not just for 10, 20, 20 or even 40 years's service, but for each of the times that the volunteers go out. The medals are for courage as much as for service and that is a huge tribute."
ESRA member John Macdonald was due to receive a medal but was unable to attend the ceremony.
