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NorthLink Ferries will invest another £50,000 over the next six months in supporting local charities, events, athletes and artists in the Northern Isles.

The sponsorship funding will take the form of free travel and discounted fares and will benefit several individuals and organisations in Orkney and Shetland. Since 2002, NorthLink has donated more than £400,000 in sponsorship funds.

Elaine Tulloch, NorthLink marketing manager, said: “At NorthLink we are committed to playing an active role in the local communities we serve and are proud to be investing in a number of local causes again.

“Our sponsorship programme has become immensely popular and, once again, we were inundated with sponsorship applications for this latest tranche of travel. We hope that our sponsorship will go some way towards helping enrich the islands’ rich social, cultural and sporting life. We very much enjoy following the progress and success of the young sports stars and musicians from the isles, some of whom we have supported for more than three years now.”

New to the sponsorship scheme this Spring are badminton-playing siblings Mathew (11) and Rebecca Reid (13) of Kirkwall, both of whom will attend Highland district badminton training sessions and tournaments.

Another brother and sister duo who will be travelling south are James and Martha Morton from Hillswick in Shetland. James is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and younger sister Martha is proving that musical talent runs in the family by playing with the National Children’s Orchestra.

Orcadian triathlete, Bobby Oag, will continue to be supported in travelling to national meetings, as will badminton player Roy Wood of Lerwick, who will attend under-13 national squad training sessions this summer.

Several local sporting groups are benefiting from discounted travel. These include cycling group Shetland Wheelers, fishing groups from both Orkney and Shetland, swimming and riding clubs from Orkney and Shetland’s Dinghy Association and Baton Twirlers.

A number of groups are welcoming participants to events being hosted in the Northern Isles, with NorthLink providing discounted travel for many of those attending. Shetland Sailing Centre will host the Scottish Mirror Championships and Unst Boating Club hosts the European Albacore Championships. Orkney Pony Club is hosting the Pony Club North of Scotland Mounted Games. The Alloa Pipe Band will come to the Scalloway Gala and artists from around the globe will travel to both Orkney and Shetland Folk Festivals in May.

Charitable pursuits will also be supported, including Lerwick-based Stanley Manson and his daughter Suzanne’s trip to China to tackle the Great Wall in aid of the Fisherman’s Mission. Andy Walker and Paul Barber, both teachers at Stromness Academy, will cycle from John o’ Groats to Land’s End in aid of skin blistering charity DebRA.

The Shetland Aid Trust, which NorthLink has supported for the last four years, is receiving free travel for its annual humanitarian mission to Albania.

The company will also be donating return travel vouchers to several local groups as fundraising prizes. More than 20 travel vouchers have been donated to groups such as the Friends of Orkney Boat Museum, Diabetes UK’s Orkney branch and Shetland’s Stepping Stones Club.

The next sponsorship tranche will run from October 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008. Details will be advertised in September.

For further information please contact NorthLink Ferries’ marketing department on 01856 885 500.