Milestone for Linda Norgrove Foundation

The parents of Lewis aid worker Linda Norgrove, who died in a failed rescue attempt following her kidnapping in Afghanistan in 2010, are heartened by the continued support of the foundation they set up in their daughter’s name.

The Linda Norgrove Foundation hit a major milestone during its 10th anniversary year, raising more than £2m to help women and children in Afghanistan.

Despite concerns the charity might struggle during the Covid pandemic, income was boosted by one-off donations from a number of sources, as well as some innovative fundraising ideas to cope with the current situation.

Linda’s parents, John and Lorna Norgrove, said: ‘This has been a difficult year for us all, and many charities have found it challenging so we have been really heartened by the response of many loyal supporters who found incredibly creative ways to raise funds.’

The annual Uig 10k run was replaced with a socially distanced variation which has already raised more than £14,000, with contributions still coming in. And one of John and Lorna’s friends organised an open water swim challenge which attracted 83 entrants from across the world. US charity Development Aid International raised more than £5k from virtual events to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of their colleague.

Income so far for 2020 is more than £200,000, the highest annual sum raised since the year immediately following Linda’s death.

The foundation now supports 63 medical students, a figure which will increase to 85 by the spring. They also support 27 midwives, 10 nurses and 52 women studying for other degrees including law and computer science. John and Lorna added: ‘These trained professionals will in turn act as role models for other young women.’