TWO EuroMillions lottery winners from Ayrshire have pledged to help keep the Waverley paddle steamer afloat for another season by plugging any shortfall in its public funding campaign.
Chris and Colin Weir, who won a £161 million EuroMillions jackpot in July, have agreed to contribute an undisclosed sum to top up a £350,000 fundraising appeal, ensuring it can afford an expensive winter refit and sail again next year.
The latest contribution comes after The Herald revealed last month that the Clyde-built Waverley, the world’s last sea-going paddle steamer, was on track to achieve its immediate fundraising goals after securing the backing of a number of councils.
The Weirs are said to be keen to help boost the economy of their hometown, Largs, a regular stop-off for the Waverley during its excursions “doon the watter”.
Charlie Gordon, the former Glasgow City Council leader who was appointed chair of the Waverley’s development board, said: “The generosity of Chris and Colin Weir has been wonderful.
“In many ways it reflects the support we have received across the country, but to see philanthropists backing their communities in this way is great, and we can’t thank them enough.
“What was most heartening was Chris’s commitment to our vision of the Waverley being at the heart of the economic and cultural lives of the communities she serves.”
However, efforts to secure a more sustainable long-term future for the vessel and increase the level of Government funding are continuing amid concern that it cannot continue by relying on revenue from fare-paying passengers.
Waverley Excursions, the charity that operates the vessel, said it had received offers of financial support from Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, and Argyll and Bute, while Glasgow had increased its annual grant. Discussions with a number of councils south of the Border are ongoing.
The Waverley has emerged from a number of financial crises since it was purchased for commercial cruises in 1973 for £1 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and has most recently been hit by falling passenger numbers and soaring fuel costs.
Among the “extraordinary” private donations that have been made during this year’s funding campaign was a donation of £100 made by a widow who raised the money by selling her husband’s car after he died, the charity said.
“Support for the ship has been given across political divides in the Scottish Parliament, at Westminster and in Wales. However, we are still vulnerable,” Mr Gordon said.
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