West Fraser donates SterlingOSB Zero for new lifeboat centre

West Fraser, formerly known as Norbord, has donated SterlingOSB Zero, made in the company’s Inverness plant, to the team building a new lifeboat centre for the East Sutherland Rescue Association (ESRA) in Dornoch, Scotland.

The panel product was donated to the independent lifeboat charity to create flooring in the new centre’s upper floor which features a training room, office space and showers for the 16 volunteers to make use of.

The new ESRA lifeboat centre has been created to commemorate the group’s 40th anniversary of providing vital support for anyone who has found themselves at risk in the neighbouring coastline.

Stuart Hendry, general manager at West Fraser’s Inverness mill, said: “We are always happy to support great local initiatives in any way we can, so we were thrilled to help ESRA to continue their life-saving duties. By donating our sustainable wood product for construction use, we hope that we have been able to play an important part in supporting the work that the volunteer team at the new lifeboat centre carries out.”

Antony Hope of the volunteer lifeboat charity, added: “We are hugely grateful for this kind donation from the West Fraser team; it provides a massive step forward in the creation of our new lifeboat centre. Over the past four decades, ESRA volunteers have been called out to over 400 emergency calls so it’s vital that we have the best possible location for our volunteers to operate from. Our new lifeboat centre provides us that space.”