Longhope RNLI Joins Sandpiper Relay to Mark Opening of 2025 Island Games

The 2025 Island Games have officially arrived in Orkney, bringing together athletes from island communities across the globe for a celebration of sport, culture, and connection. Held every two years and organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA), the event welcomes around twenty four islands to compete in a diverse range of sports.

This year’s Games are especially significant for Scotland, as it's the first time the event has returned since Shetland hosted in 2005. Orkney is proud to welcome visiting teams from nearby islands such as Shetland, the Western Isles, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey, along with international participants from as far afield as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, and St Helena.

In the lead-up to the opening ceremony, a unique and meaningful journey has taken place across Scotland. Since 4 July 2025, a Sandpiper Bag, a specially equipped emergency medical kit, has travelled over 1,000 kilometres from Stornoway to Kirkwall. Carried by rural clinicians via foot, bike, kayak, and boat, this ambitious relay was launched to raise awareness and funds for The Sandpiper Trust and the Rural GP Association of Scotland (RGPAS).

The final stretch of the journey took to the sea, with the Sandpiper Bag transported by the RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews from Thurso, Longhope, Stromness, and Kirkwall. Longhope’s volunteer crew, aboard RNLB Helen Comrie, took part as part of their regular weekly training exercise receiving the bag from Thurso RNLI at Flotta, before passing it to Stromness’ volunteer crew, who then passed it on to Kirkwall’s volunteer crew for the final leg, ensuring it arrived in Kirkwall in time for the Games’ official start.

Abbie Shipley-Gordon, who was involved in the handover on behalf of Longhope RNLI, shared what the event meant to her: ‘I felt proud to represent both our Longhope lifeboat as a volunteer crew member and as one of the island’s ambulance responders who assist the island GPs with call-outs. Due to not wanting to leave our island without medical cover, our island GP on duty, Rebecca Payne, nominated both myself and a visiting medical student, Libby, to represent her in the relay. Living in small communities means you get involved and I like helping people, so the relay was a way of recognising what rural GP’s and medical teams do, at the same time as raising funds for the lifesaving equipment they use.’

The relay also shines a light on the often unseen but critical role rural GPs play in Scotland’s healthcare system. In isolated areas, they are frequently the first to respond to medical emergencies, providing urgent care at the scene before patients can be transferred to hospital. This work requires advanced skills and reliable equipment.

For over three decades, BASICS Scotland and The Sandpiper Trust have supported this vital work by delivering training and supplying emergency response kits. Each Sandpiper Bag holds more than fifty pieces of carefully selected equipment, designed for use in remote and challenging environments. These bags, which cost several thousand pounds, are issued free to clinicians who complete the required training and sign on as BASICS responders.

The Sandpiper Relay not only raised vital funds but also celebrated the close collaboration between healthcare teams and emergency responders like the RNLI, a partnership that is especially vital in places like Orkney, where geography and distance can make access to emergency care more complex. With shared values and a joint commitment to saving lives, the RNLI and rural medical teams work side by side to support island communities. Longhope RNLI were proud to play a part in this inspiring initiative, helping to welcome the Island Games to Orkney in a way that honoured both teamwork and the spirit of island resilience.

Notes to editors

· Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Longhope Lifeboat Station (rnli.org)

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Vicky Mackinnon, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07703 688066, [email protected]

Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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