A new charitable organisation has been launched in memory of an oil and gas safety doyen.
The David Doig Foundation has been set up by the late chief executive of Opito’s wife Gillian, in memory of her husband, who died suddenly in January after a heart attack.
As the chief executive of skills body, Mr Doig championed further education, apprenticeship schemes and rolled out a programme to ensure every offshore worker met the ‘gold standard’ of training.
Mr Doig, who was based in Dubai, suffered a heart attack on December 31 and later died peacefully in hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
A seed fund of over £90,000 has been established by his family and industry supporters and Mrs Doig is now launching a fundraising drive so that they can help as many people succeed in business as possible, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Mrs Doig said her husband, who was 57 when he died, had left school without any qualifications but still managed to succeed.
She said: “David’s experience at school was not a positive one, but he had an inner strength to survive and succeed.
“Open University played an important role in his development and through the years he always tried to give back so that the same opportunities could be offered to others.
“David may have left us, but he also left behind a huge legacy and we want to honour and remember that by supporting as many people as possible to access education and build aspirations so that they can achieve their true potential.
“No person’s educational success should be limited by their socio-economic or geographical background.”
The David Doig Foundation has been set up in partnership with Foundation Scotland, a UK registered independent charity.
It is hoped it will support a diverse range of activities from confidence building around returning to education to opportunities for young people and children who are at risk or have been excluded from mainstream education.
Mrs Doig said her husband’s straight-talking approach and belief that all oil and gas workers should be able to go to work and return home safely at the end of each day, helped drive positive change across the global industry.
She added: “David was a wonderful man, with a great sense of humour, who was passionate about helping people. He left school with no qualifications and worked his way up to the role of CEO. He championed education and was an advocate of lifelong learning. I’d really urge the business community to support his legacy and get involved with the foundation as it will make a difference to lives.”
Donations can be made through the David Doig Foundation website where details can also be found about education initiatives and hosting fundraising events.
For further information visit www.daviddoigfoundation.com
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