It’s full steam ahead for teacake tycoon Sir Boyd as he takes on new charity role
TEACAKE tycoon Sir Boyd Tunnock has taken on a new role as patron of the charity which owns a historic Loch Lomond paddle steamer to mark their 25th anniversary.
The charity which owns Maid of the Loch is celebrating the milestone this weekend and is delighted to have a new patron at the helm.
On October 9, 1995 the Loch Lomond Steamship Company was established, and to help mark the silver jubilee, the charity is thrilled to reveal Sir Boyd’s appointment and such an important time in their history.
Chairman John Beveridge said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Boyd has agreed to be Patron. He is one of Scotland’s outstanding business people and to have his support for the Maid is a huge boost to the project.”
Despite some of the challenges which the coronavirus has brought, the charity hopes to keep the paddle steamer afloat. In June they launched a £25,000 crowdfunder to recover some of the lost income during lockdown. It came just weeks after the Maid’s engines were fired up for the first time in almost four decades following an extensive £1.2 million restoration project.
Speaking of his appointment as patron Sir Boyd, CBE, said: “Last year I was invited to the charity’s first steaming of the Maid’s engines in 38 years, and I appreciate the real potential of this beautiful ship as a boost to the local economy and to Scotland. I admire the amount of effort and commitment that the charity has given to restoring this unique ship wish them well for the future”.
Maid of the Loch, first launched in 1953, was given free of charge to the charity in 1995, and in that time it has raised over £3.5 million, but it has also had to rebuild Balloch Pier, the slipway, and build a car park. The most recent success has been the £1.2 million refit of the Maid which has seen internal refurbishment of two main rooms, the installation of a lift, and restoration of her steam engines.
Tomorrow’s anniversary event will see the engines “In Steam” along with other special activities. The Maid is open Wednesdays to Sundays until November 1.