Summer 2026
Moray Reach Out helps adults with disabilities gain a real sense of purpose and pride
MRO News!
As we move into the summer months and reach the halfway point of 2026, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come already this year and look ahead to everything still to come.
This year is especially significant for us, as 2026 marks a remarkable milestone – 25 years since Moray Reach Out became an incorporated Scottish charity.
To celebrate this incredible journey, we launched our year-long community campaign: The MRO Journey – Join the Circle of Giving, with an ambitious goal of raising £25,000 to help secure and grow our future.
We are delighted to share that, thanks to the incredible support of our community, we have already reached our first circular ring milestone on our £25,000 fundraising journey. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the generosity of everyone who has supported us so far. While there is still a long way to go, we are excited to continue building momentum throughout the remainder of the year.
The first half of 2026 has been filled with celebrations, events, achievements, and opportunities to connect with our supporters. But the journey is far from over. We have many more exciting events, activities, and fundraising opportunities planned for the months ahead, and we look forward to sharing them with you.
Alongside this special anniversary year, our trainees and teams have continued to achieve amazing things through creative projects, community involvement, and personal development opportunities. In this newsletter, we’re delighted to share some of their recent successes and highlights.
As we look ahead to the second half of our anniversary year, we are excited for what lies ahead and grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey so far. Together, we can continue making a positive difference in our community for many years to come.
Read on to discover some of our upcoming summer events and find out how you can get involved.
Upcoming Events
We’d love for you to stay connected and be part of the journey by following our campaign Facebook group, where you’ll find the latest event updates, announcements, and behind-the-scenes moments. It’s also a space for you to share your own thoughts, experiences, and support as we work towards our £25,000 goal together.
🌍 Around the World for MRO 🌍
We are excited to have launched Around the World for MRO, a community movement challenge as part of our Circle of Giving Campaign.
From January till the end of May, participants have already logged an incredible 13,547 miles, taking us more than halfway towards our first trip around the globe. Along the way, our virtual journey has already seen us pass some iconic landmarks, including Buckie Harbour, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the Statue of Liberty. We are now making our way towards the Great Wall of China as our mileage total continues to grow.
A huge thank you goes to Moray Leisure Centre for helping to promote the campaign to their members and encouraging so many people to get involved.
While the challenge is helping us raise vital funds, we also hope it is inspiring people to get a few more miles in than they otherwise might have, providing that extra bit of motivation to stay active, set personal goals, and be part of something bigger within the community. Whether it’s an extra lap around the park, a longer walk with the dog, or a few more minutes on the treadmill, every mile makes a difference.
Ready to get involved?
Every mile matters. Every person matters. Let’s see how far we can go together.
Buckpool Golf Club’s
Annual Charity Texas Scramble
Buckpool Golf Club will be hosting their Charity Texas Scramble Open on Saturday 29th August in support of Moray Reach Out.
This popular team event offers a fun and inclusive Texas Scramble format, making it suitable for golfers of all abilities. Teams of four are encouraged to take part, with entry set at £60 per team.
Alongside the competition, there will be additional fundraising activities on the day, including a raffle and prizes, all contributing to support adults with disabilities across Moray. Every team entered helps Moray Reach Out continue to provide meaningful opportunities that build confidence, skills, purpose, and pride within our local community.
Teams can register directly through Buckpool Golf Club:
CLICK HERE
If you are unable to take part, there are still many ways to support the event, including purchasing raffle tickets, donating a raffle prize, sponsoring the event, or sharing the details with others who may be interested.
We are very grateful for this continued support during our 25th anniversary year.
Moray Reach Out Invited to the King’s Garden Party
We are delighted to share that Moray Reach Out has been invited to attend the King’s Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 30th June 2026.
The annual Garden Party is one of the highlights of Holyrood Week, welcoming around 8,000 guests from across Scotland in recognition of their service to their communities and contributions to society. Guests have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Palace grounds while taking part in an afternoon of tea, music, and celebration.
Representing Moray Reach Out at this prestigious event will be Karen.V, Linda, Alison, and one of our own trainees, William, who will attend on behalf of the organisation and the wider Moray Reach Out community.
As invitations to the Garden Party are issued through a nomination and sponsorship process to recognise exceptional community contribution, we are incredibly proud that Moray Reach Out has been selected to attend. It is a wonderful acknowledgement of the dedication of our trainees, staff, volunteers, supporters, and everyone who has helped shape our organisation over the past 25 years.
We look forward to sharing photographs and highlights from what promises to be a very special day
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme
We are delighted to share that Moray Reach Out has been selected as one of the nominated charities benefiting from the reopening of Whitehills House Garden in Newton Stewart this season.
After an 11-year pause, this beautiful garden is once again welcoming visitors, with 30% of admission proceeds generously donated to Moray Reach Out. This support will directly help us continue our work across Moray, supporting adults with disabilities to build confidence, develop skills, and live more independently.
Whitehills House Garden offers visitors the chance to enjoy stunning landscaped gardens, woodland walks, and vibrant seasonal planting in a peaceful and welcoming setting. The garden is open by arrangement until 30th September, with a special Open Garden Day taking place on Saturday 27th June from 10am to 5pm.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the garden owners and Scotland’s Garden Scheme for their generosity and for choosing to support our organisation. Every visit made contributes meaningfully to the work we do and the people we support.
If you are in the area over the coming months, this is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a visit while also supporting a local cause.
Buckie Classic Car Show
We are delighted to share that Moray Reach Out will once again have a stall at the Buckie Classic Car Show on Sunday 30th August 2026 at Linzee Gordon Park, Buckie (11am–4pm).
This fantastic community event continues to grow year on year, with 2025 welcoming almost 700 stunning vehicles, great weather, a wide range of stalls, delicious food options, and an incredible display of classic, modern, and future classic vehicles. It truly is a highlight of the Buckie events calendar, and we are excited to be part of it again.
This year, we will be running a Bottle Stall at our stand to help raise vital funds for Moray Reach Out. We would be incredibly grateful for donations of bottles to help make it a great success. Donations could include bottles of wine, spirits, beer, prosecco, soft drinks, sparkling juice, cordial, shower gel, bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, perfume, aftershave, or any other bottled item suitable as a prize.
If you are able to contribute, donations can be dropped off at our Thrift Shop, 23 East Church Street, Buckie (upstairs – lift available).
Every donation, no matter the size, helps us raise funds to support adults with disabilities across Moray and makes a real difference to the success of events like this.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We hope to see you there for another brilliant community day.
Buckie Coffee Morning
Following the huge success of our coffee morning in March, we have decided to run another Coffee Morning at the North Church in Buckie on Saturday, 26th September, and we are hoping it will be just as successful.
This will be a lovely opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy a cuppa, and support the ongoing work of Moray Reach Out.
We would warmly welcome donations of home-baked goods to sell at the coffee morning. If you would like to contribute, baked items can be dropped off at MRO Buckie, 23 East Church Street, Buckie on Friday 25th September.
Every contribution, big or small, helps make events like this a success.
All funds raised will go towards our £25,000 Circle of Giving campaign goal, helping Moray Reach Out continue to support trainees in building confidence, developing skills, growing in independence, and feeling proud of their achievements. 💛
🕺 Nostalgia Night Disco Returns! 💃
Following the success of our previous event, we’re excited to share that we’ll be hosting another Nostalgia Night Disco (70s–00s) at the Ex-Servicemen’s Club on Friday, 11th September.
Get ready to dance the night away to all your favourite hits through the decades in what promises to be another fun-filled evening of music, memories, and great company.
It’s still early days, so keep an eye out for more details and updates coming soon – we can’t wait to do it all again! 🎶✨
Exciting Updates
New Clothing Sale at MRO Thrift Shop!
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new clothing range, now available at the MRO Thrift Shop.
This exciting fundraising initiative is a partnership between Moray Reach Out (MRO) and Outfit Moray, with proceeds from every sale being shared between both organisations. The clothes have their own dedicated stand within the shop, making it easy for customers to browse and support this collaborative venture.
All sales from the stand will be classified as fundraising for both organisations, helping us continue to provide valuable services and opportunities within our local community. The sale will remain in place until all items have been sold.
Every purchase directly supports the important work carried out by both charities, helping to create opportunities, improve wellbeing, and make a positive difference in people’s lives.
We would love for you to pop in, have a browse, and pick up some great clothing while supporting two fantastic local causes.
Available now at:
MRO Thrift Shop
23 East Church Street
Buckie
Thank you for helping us make a difference, one item at a time.
Embroidery Expansion
Following on from our exciting news about expanding to Buckie, we’re pleased to share an update on how things have been progressing throughout June.
Our Embroidery Team Lead, Anna, has been spending her Mondays in Buckie, building relationships with local businesses, organisations, and community members. Earlier this month, Anna was out and about promoting our service and introducing Moray Reach Out’s embroidery offering to the local community.
For the remainder of June, Monday mornings will be dedicated to appointments with businesses and organisations interested in discussing their embroidery requirements (with flexibility to accommodate individual needs). On Monday afternoons, from 1pm–4pm, Anna will continue to host live embroidery machine demonstrations while also completing local Buckie orders.
We’re delighted with the positive response we’ve received so far and look forward to continuing to build connections in Buckie while bringing our embroidery service closer to the local community. 💛
MRO Embroidery at Hampden Park!
MRO Embroidery was invited to a regional event in Glasgow on the 22nd April, with Anna and Katie attending to represent Moray Reach Out. The event took place at Hampden Park, Scotland’s National Stadium – an incredible venue to experience!
The day was centred around creativity, connections, and commercial inspiration, bringing together garment decorators and resellers from across the sector. They had the opportunity to connect with the expert team at PenCarrie and explore a wide range of products from different garment brands.
Seeing new and trending styles up close provided great insight and inspiration, with exciting potential for future collaborations ahead.
New Yarn Arrivals at MRO Yarns & Crafts!
We’re delighted to announce that we now have new stock of Symfonie Terra 4ply and Symfonie Viva DK available in our Yarns & Crafts Shop.
Inspired by the rich, vibrant colours of India, these premium hand-dyed yarns offer exceptional quality, softness, and stunning colours. The beautiful Viva DK, made from 100% extrafine merino wool, is perfect for garments, accessories, and cosy projects, while Terra 4ply combines merino wool and polyamide to create a beautifully soft yet durable yarn that’s ideal for socks, shawls, and everyday wear.
Whether you’re a knitter, crocheter, or simply looking for inspiration for your next project, pop in and explore these gorgeous new additions to our yarn collection.
Health & Wellbeing Project
Healthier Lives is an initiative designed to improve the health and wellbeing of adults with disabilities, particularly those with learning disabilities, mental health challenges, or at risk of social isolation. The project will provide accessible information and training on key wellbeing topics, including:
- Mental and physical health
- Evidence-based nutrition
- Inclusive access to sport and recreation
- Online safety
- Healthy relationships
- Challenging stigma
- Ensuring Meaningful Inclusion
As part of our Healthier Lives newsletter, we marked Mental Health Awareness Week with the launch of our first edition focused on mental wellbeing. This highlighted local support services, practical wellbeing tips, and opportunities happening across Moray, along with helpful organisations, community groups, and ways to stay connected and supported.
Read it here: https://morayreachout.org.uk/healthier-lives-newsletter-1/
📩 Sign up to our newsletter and stay connected with everything happening through Healthier Lives. https://morayreachout.org.uk/healthier-lives-sign-up/
Looking ahead to the end of June, we’re also pleased to be working with Police Scotland, who will be visiting Moray Reach Out to meet our trainees and begin planning future workshops focused on staying safe online.
Together, we can continue supporting healthier, more connected lives across Moray.
Staff Training Day
Yesterday, staff from across Moray Reach Out came together for a fantastic Training Day filled with collaboration, learning, team building, and celebration.
From hearing about “a day in the life” of each project, to group activities, discussions, quizzes, and feedback sessions, the day was a brilliant opportunity for staff to connect, share ideas, and learn more about the amazing work happening across MRO.
We also had the pleasure of ending the day celebrating alongside our volunteers, board members, and staff as part of our 25 year celebrations 🎉
The feedback from the day highlighted the strong sense of teamwork, positivity, inclusivity, and support that exists throughout MRO – something we are incredibly proud of.
You can read more about the day on our blog here 👇
https://morayreachout.org.uk/mro-staff-training-day-2026/
Woodwork Project
With summer well underway and the brighter days here to stay , there’s no better time to get outdoors and enjoy your outdoor spaces.
Our woodwork team has been busy creating beautiful handcrafted planters and picnic tables, perfect for gardens, community spaces, and making the most of the summer weather. Our picnic tables are available in sizes for both adults and children, making them ideal for family-friendly spaces and summer gatherings 🪵✨
If you’re looking to brighten up your garden or add something practical and seasonal this summer, we’d love to help.
To order or find out more, please email us or order online today.
📧 orders@morayreachout.org.uk
👉 https://morayreachout.org.uk/outdoor-collection/
Join the Moray Reach Out Family
Ready to make a positive impact? Volunteer with us or become an Ambassador! 🌟
We’re looking for Volunteers and Ambassadors to help spread the word about what Moray Reach Out does and assist us at various events throughout the year. Explore our diverse projects – Buckie Recycling, Elgin Recycling, Woodwork, Embroidery, Thrift Shop, Art Yarn, and Yarns & Crafts. 🌈
We tailor roles to your skills, interests, and availability!
Click here for more information
We sincerely hope you will consider joining us on this journey of empowerment and support.
Email info@morayreachout.org.uk to express your interest
Support us by shopping with us, volunteering or donating/fundraising.
For more info on how you can do this, contact us now on info@morayreachout.org.uk or like our Facebook page to stay updated @MorayReachOut
Click below to be re-directed to our MRO sites for more information!
STAY IN THE LOOP
Subscribe to our seasonal newsletter to never miss our latest news and upcoming events!
Our newsletter is sent out 4x every year!
