We did it!

100 UK fish and chip shops exceeded all expectations by smashing the fundraising target of £10,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission. 

The shops, hailing from all corners of the UK, all came good and raised £10,273 as part of the Centenary Chip In For Charity event – organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF). And the money is still coming in!

The fundraising, which took place on a single day, commemorated the NFFF’s official 100th birthday on 11th November 2013. When the NFFF asked if UK 100 shops would like to raise £100 each by whatever means, the response was overwhelming. Each shop showed their true colours and rose to the occasion by signing up for the event in record time, proving that the fish and chip community is as generous as they are ambitious.    

The dedication of the registered shops was never in doubt. Whilst the NFFF raised funds by cooking over 100 portions of fish and chips to local pensioners at their head office training school, some of the participating shops created their own ideas to raise £100 each, including serving 100 portions of our national dish to housing authorities and Methodist Missions. 

But the figure of £10,273 could snowball into a figure none of us would have dreamt of. 

A delighted Chris Hirst, Trusts and Corporate Fundraising Manager at the Fisherman’s Mission, said, “It is fantastic to exceed the £10K fundraising total for the NFFF’s Centenary Chip In For Charity. On behalf of the Fishermen’s Mission I would like to thank all those who took part. 

“In the recent weeks the storms have caused flooding and inconvenience for many; for the UK’s fishermen it has invariably meant that they have been unable to fish or have gone to sea in dangerous seas. Since 1881 the Fishermen’s Mission has been there to help and offer support when things go wrong. Last year (2013) Mission staff travelled over 72,462 miles supporting fishermen and their families around the UK’s coast, made 8,054 home visits and helped fishermen access grants totalling £878,355 – whilst doing this we have worked to ensure that for every £1 donated 88p has been spent on providing our services.”