Wishing a very Happy Mother's Day to all mums

We’re wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to all mums out there and want to pay a special tribute to those mums being spoiled who work and volunteer with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Her Majesty’s Coastguard.

One of those, Salen Coastguard Rescue Officer Sue Sinclair, who is a mum of two children Alisa and Jackson, will be doing her best to put her feet up this morning – before she completes water rescue training with HM Coastguard later in the day on Sunday!

Voluntary service with the Coastguard certainly runs in the family for Sue and her loved ones; with her mum Anne also being a volunteer with Kilchoan Coastguard.

Over the past four decades, the family have clocked up hours upon hours of volunteer time – with Andrew, Sue’s dad, occupying the role of Salen Coastguard Station Officer for the best part of 35 years and her brothers, Jim and Tom, having also supported with service to the team.

“I'm really excited for Mother's Day this year as both my children are now old enough (six and eight years old respectively) to know what the day means and are young enough to still want to do something nice for me,” said Sue.

“I have been assured I am getting breakfast in bed, which I am excited about as the oldest has mastered making a decent cuppa tea; and the youngest no longer makes a mess when breaking eggs for pancakes! They then get some quality time with Daddy, which they love and I get to don a dry suit and jump in the sea with the Coastguard at Loch Sunart – for water rescue training and assessments – which I love doing!”

Sue is also planning to catch up with her mum during the course of the day, too.

“With my mum being in a different coastguard team, we’ve only been able to briefly see each other in person for essential purposes during COVID-19, like delivering some shopping to the front door,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to having a chat on Sunday – and filling her in on how breakfast was and how training went! 

“It has been difficult this past year, as is the case for everyone, to see family members. It’s funny, because, the first time I saw my dad in 2021 was on a shout back in February and it was like ‘blimey, Happy New Year!’

“Luckily, though, I’m able to see my brothers quite a bit through the family business and at work.

“We couldn’t volunteer as easily as we do without the support of my sisters-in-law, who are all mothers and more than play their part," added Sue, who has volunteered with the Coastguard for five years.

Volunteering with the Coastguard brings with it a real sense of community spirit and camaraderie, something Sue says brings everyone together in Salen, the coastal village on the Ardnamurchan peninsula; and other nearby places. 

“The Coastguard is and will always be part of our lives; it’s really a natural thing for us to volunteer. It’s great opportunity to get out in the fresh air, enjoy the company of team colleagues and build strong bonds with people.”

While the family’s service with the Coastguard is set to continue, there could well be a new recruit in the making with Sue’s daughter, Alisa, already expressing an interest in volunteering – at the tender age of just six!

“My daughter has already said to me that, when she’s older, she wants to join the Coastguard and not only be my boss, but grandad’s, too!”

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