About Us

The Fisher Foundation is administered by the Fermanagh Trust, County Fermanagh’s community foundation. It is one of a number of funds administered by the Trust in its support of community and voluntary endeavour. Over £300,000 has been awarded by the Fisher Foundation since it was established. Young people have been supported via bursary awards towards carrying out voluntary work overseas. Support has also been given to motor clubs and other relevant organisations to improve safety standards at rally events.

Since 2003 over 400 young volunteers from Fermanagh representing a wide range of organisations including The Leprosy Mission, Trocaire and the Church Mission Society Ireland have been awarded grants to help fund various development programmes. The Fisher Foundation aims to provide much needed financial resources to help organisations and volunteers who give their time to assist so many excellent and much needed projects right across the world. The projects that have been carried out including illness/ physical disability programmes, help for women and children, education initiatives etc are of worthy benefit not only to those affected in many countries but also in terms of personal development for our young people.

The continued support of motorsport safety initiatives is at the heart of the Foundation in recognition of Bertie’s long established interest in this particular aspect. Safety in rallying was always of paramount importance to the three times Ulster Rally winner and during the 1980s he became increasingly aware of the need for improvement in safety standards at Irish rallies. To highlight the urgency in addressing the problem, Bertie, already one of the top Irish drivers withdrew from competitive rallying in 1986 to enable him to assist event organisers in the promotion and implementation of improved safety standards.

Each year the Fisher Foundation supports a range of initiatives, each promoting the continued development of safety in motor sport. This may include the cost of relevant training for voluntary officials and marshals in support of the purchase of appropriate safety equipment. Previous recipients include those organising rallying events i.e 'The Circuit of Ireland' which received support for safety training for marshals and volunteers. Also supported were Motorsport Ireland who used their grant to host a national training weekend for rescue vehicles at Mondello Park. 70 participants ranging from first responder rescue crews to paramedics and doctors were involved in the programme which included lectures and practical demonstrations with opportunities for all to experience potential scenarios that may be faced by those attending a motor sport incident. In addition the Foundation has supported the development and upgrading of rally rescue vehicles for clubs across Ireland.