Our Impact

Coming Up Rosy For Rosie: Supporting Fishermen’s Widows

“People like Rosie have rarely known the comforts in life we may take for granted. Being able to help, even in small ways, has a huge impact.”

– Miriam Kemp, Fishermen’s Mission Area Officer, Fraserburgh and the Moray Coast

A Life Shaped by the Sea

For Rosie, fishing has been part of life for as long as she can remember. Growing up on the Moray Coast, she was surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of a busy fishing harbour – boats heading out to the North Sea, the clatter of nets, the salty air.

She married Bert, a local trawlerman, and together they built a life rooted in the fishing community. Money was often tight, but they shared many happy years before Bert sadly passed away more than 20 years ago.

Life became much harder after his death. Some financial investments went wrong, leaving Rosie facing real hardship – a challenge many fishermen’s widows know all too well.

A Helping Hand from the Fishermen’s Mission

Miriam Kemp, our Fishermen’s Mission Area Officer for Fraserburgh and the Moray Coast, explains how we have supported Rosie over the years:

“The Fishermen’s Mission helped arrange a lifetime grant from the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, which made a real difference. We’ve stayed in touch ever since, and earlier this year we could see Rosie was struggling at home. We helped her move into sheltered housing – the only flat available was in ver poor condition, but that didn’t put Rosie off.

“Even at 84, she was a wonder with the paint brush and decorated the whole place herself in brilliant white emulsion! Using local contacts and further grant funding, we were able to carpet the property and provide a new cooker so she could make proper meals again.”

A Warm, Safe Place to Call Home

Now Rosie is enjoying life in her cosy new home.

“Every time I call round her smile stretches from ear to ear!” Miriam says. “In her broad Doric tongue, Rosie tells me she finally feels at home – warm, comfy, and able to enjoy the simple pleasures of life for the first time in many years.”

Why Your Support Matters

Stories like Rosie’s show how vital our work is for fishermen’s families and retired fishermen who face loneliness, poverty, or unsafe living conditions. Your donations help us provide practical support, safe housing, and a caring presence for people who have given their lives to the sea.

Please donate today and help us continue to be there for fishing families and widows like Rosie when they need us most.

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