BORDERS Children’s Charity (BCC) raised £500 through painted nails in a straw bale at Kelso Farmer’s Market on Saturday.
Local shops donated prizes and for £1 a shot people pulled nails from the bale with the coloured nails proving winners. Stallholders also donated boosting the total raised.
BCC chairperson Bronwyn Coggan said: “The people and businesses in and around Kelso have been exceptionally supportive this weekend. Lidl, The Factory Shop, the Co-op and Sainsbury’s all donated super prizes for our bale nail raffle and the Kelso Farmers Market stallholders have been very generous too. Special thanks must go to Robin Tuke, chairman of the market for the opportunity to hold this fundraiser within the market, Peter Rae, the market manager who set everything up for us and particularly local farmers Jamie and Fiona Tweedie who supplied the straw bale.
“In the last year we have paid out an average of more than £500 per week in response to requests to help local children and with the arrival of the first flurries of snow the night before the farmers market, it was a timely reminder that too many children who live close to us all are going to need basics like winter coats and boots that their families cannot afford. Thanks to the help from everyone this weekend, the BCC can continue to help such children.”
Volunteers run the charity, which has no overheads or administration costs, so all the money raised goes to buying beds, clothes, shoes and other basics for local children as well as helping with school trips, activities, life skills and specialist equipment.
Donations to the Borders Children’s Charity can now be done by text. For example, to donate £5, text BCCT03 £5 to 70070. Visit www.borderschildrens charity.org.uk