20/03/2026
A truly appalling decision by a company who promised to continue fuel support for Nith Inshore Rescue when they took over from the previous owners.
We will be taking our trade elsewhere in the "community".
Feel free to email then with your thoughts: https://www.groveretail.net/contact
We are deeply saddened and disappointed that St Michael’s Services, now under the ownership of Grove Retail Limited, has ended its fuel sponsorship of Nith Inshore Rescue with immediate effect.
This decision came without notice, without consultation, and as a profound shock to our charity. Fuel is not a luxury for us — it is essential to running our rescue boats and blue-light response vehicles, helping us train, respond, and save lives.
We wholly recognise that it is for the new owners to decide how best they wish to operate in our area, but we are saddened by the abruptness of the decision after a long-standing relationship.
We remain proud to serve our community and grateful for the support we continue to receive from all those who are rooted here, and know and respect that sometimes people and businesses have to make difficult decisions to cease or reduce support - we are thankful for all the help we receive. We are also immensely grateful for the long period of support from St Michael's Services under its previous operators, a locally owned, community-supporting family business.
We are now urgently exploring alternative ways to cover this critical cost.
[UPDATE: We have been overwhelmed by the level of support expressed below and interest in our story. To answer a common question, our fuel cost at current prices is about £375 per month. Please DM us or donate using the link at the top of our FaceBook page if you can help.]