Latest news with #WeeWander
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Kiltwalkers raise £750k during charity walk in Dundee
A further 1,600 did the 'Wee Wander' and set off from Broughty Ferry on a four-mile walk before joining the rest at the finish line. 525 charities will benefit from the walk with every pound going towards each individual person's cause. Kiltwalk CEO Paul Cooney said: "The majority of our brilliant Kiltwalkers are fundraising for local charities that do vital work here in North Fife, Dundee and Angus - and thanks to their generosity, we are on track to raise over £750,000 for incredible local causes. Thanks to the Hunter Foundation underwriting Kiltwalk, every pound donated - including Gift Aid - goes to the walkers' chosen charities. "We are grateful for the support of NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation, and their 300 Kiltwalkers, and to the Northwood Charitable Trust, both of which have made the Dundee Kiltwalk an essential fixture in the area's calendar. "This year marks our tenth year of Kiltwalking, and the kindness of walkers and their families has been overwhelming." Read More Shelly McCarthy, charity chief officer at NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation, said: 'We are delighted to be a sponsor of Kiltwalk Dundee this year, and proud to have over 300 amazing walkers getting their steps in – together we're making a real difference for the health of the people of Tayside.' All Dundee Kiltwalkers who registered and fundraised are in with the chance of winning a car worth £30,000, thanks to headline sponsor Arnold Clark. Russell Borrie, chief executive officer at Arnold Clark, said: 'The Kiltwalk continues to make a huge difference to so many communities across Scotland, bringing people together to raise vital funds for charities close to their hearts. We know it's always a great occasion that's enjoyed by everyone, including the many Arnold Clark employees who take part every year. 'We're also excited to offer Kiltwalkers the chance to win any car up to the value of £30,000!' 200 of the walkers opted to fundraise for Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 campaign, which aims to improve the lives of people living with stage four cancer. Their donations are distributed between five specially selected charities: Cancer Research UK, Maggie's, Prostate Cancer UK, Breast Cancer Now, and Macmillan Cancer Support. Dundee is the penultimate Kiltwalk of the year, with the finale for 2025 taking place in Edinburgh on Sunday 14 September, with the registration fee remaining £20 thanks to The Hunter Foundation.
Edinburgh Reporter
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Hibernian Community Foundation launches involvement in the 2025 Edinburgh Kiltwalk
The Hibernian Community Foundation has launched its involvement in the 2025 Edinburgh Kiltwalk. Taking place on Sunday, September 14, this will be the 6th time HCF have been involved, with numbers steadily increasing year on year. HCF will cover the cost of your entry using the code HIBS2025 when you sign up to walk and are challenging and encouraging all walkers to raise £150 or more to celebrate Hibernian FC's 150th anniversary. Sign up here and nominate 'Hibernian Community Foundation' as your charity, otherwise the discount code will not activate. The Edinburgh Kiltwalk began in 2016 as a way of bringing charities across Scotland together to raise funds for their chosen cause. Walkers began to nominate HCF in 2020 during virtual COVID Kiltwalks, before HCF officially entered in 2023 with 300 Community Academy players raising over £18,000 fora range of community football initiatives. In 2024, HCF once again participated as an official charity, encouraging Community Academy players, fans, staff and members of the Hibernian community to walk and raise funds. Walkers were joined by several men's team players including captain and HCF board member Joe Newell, Nicky and Chris Cadden, Rudi Molotnikov and Josh Campbell, as well as David Gray, Sporting Director Malkay Mackay and Chairman Ian Gordon. Walkers' efforts in harsh conditions were rewarded with over £16,000 raised, marking another impressive entry for HCF. '2023 and 2024 were both such great successes for us, and we are eager to be bigger and better in 2025,' said Chair of the HCF Board, Steve Smith. 'The money raised each year has been pivotal in our delivery of football and community activities, providing equipment and support for people who don't regularly receive it.' This year, HCF is challenging every walker to raise £150, honouring the 150th anniversary of Hibernian FC and the charitable, community-focused roots of the club. 'We know the target of £150 per walker is ambitious, but we also know the community surrounding Hibs rallies behind their friends, and hopefully every walker can hit that target.' As in previous years, the HCF will be organising to leave as a group in the 10.30am Wee Wander slot, so participants should indicate that in their registration. Anyone aiming to participate in either the Big Stroll or Mighty Stride, the discount code will still apply. Whichever length you choose, please be sure to link your Just Giving fundraising page to HCF's: 2025 Kiltwalk with HCF. This year, walkers will have the opportunity to walk alongside their heroes. Please note that appearances from players and the coaching staff are dependent on availability amid changes in fixtures. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
25-07-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Dundee families walk together for a more inclusive future
A group of Dundee parents and children are playing their way to fitness as they prepare for next month's Kiltwalk. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The group of 40, including parents and children who attend The Yard, alongside dedicated staff, are raising funds for the refurbishment of the Dundee service, which supports families, children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. The inclusive play centre, which also provides wraparound family support, is currently being transformed into a fully accessible, year-round community hub, set to open in the Autumn. In the meantime, Yard continues to operate out of temporary premises at Dundee East Community Sports Club, with summer holiday sessions at Kingspark School. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ambitious, £1.5M upgrade includes a new roof, sensory room, Changing Places toilet, expanded play areas, meeting and office space, and a large communal kitchen and dining area. The outdoor garden and play zones are also taking shape, with NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation contributing £100,000 to the outdoor space and donating two spaces to the Kiltwalk. The Yard Kiltwalkers Most of the group are embarking on the four-mile Wee Wander, including Dundee Mum Cheryl Ferguson and daughter Rio who are returning for their second year and inspiring others to get involved. A few brave walkers are tackling the full 20-mile Mighty Stride. As Sunday 17 August approaches, the team have already raised almost £1,000. Gill Thomson, Service Development Manager at The Yard Dundee, who is walking alongside her two sons, said, 'The fact that so many mums, dads and children have signed up is a real testament to how much The Yard means to them. Our families really are our best ambassadors, and everyone is super-excited for the reopening, but we still need more money to get the doors open, and every pound raised brings us a step closer. 'Four miles may feel like a big ask but we're a strong and resilient community and are determined to do our best. All the summer fun at The Yard is keeping us fit and fired up for the big day!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gill will be joined by Dundee mum Pamela Donaldson, whose nine-year-old daughter attends The Yard. She said, 'I've been coming to The Yard every Sunday with my daughter since she was three years old. She absolutely loves it. It's a place she can just be herself, and feel free, and we're so excited about the reopening and the opportunities the new building will bring. I don't normally ask for sponsorship but this is a cause I'm so passionate about. I don't know what we would do without The Yard, or how we would have managed over the years without their support.' To donate, visit
Press and Journal
25-05-2025
- Health
- Press and Journal
Forglen mum takes on Aberdeen Kiltwalk in memory of 'amazing' daughter Keira, 12
On Sunday, June 1, Carol-Ann Bowes will lace up her boots for the Aberdeen Kiltwalk – an 18-mile charity hike from Banchory to Duthie Park. She'll be joined by around 30 family members, friends, colleagues, and even a Highland dance teacher – all of them walking in memory of one girl: Carol-Ann's daughter, Keira. Keira died on June 28 2023, shortly after her 12th birthday, due to complications related to her bone marrow cancer. This year's Kiltwalk falls just days before the anniversary of her death. 'We're doing it for her,' says Carol-Ann. 'To support the charity that gave us hope – and to honour what her brother did.' Keira's younger brother, Cameron, was just 14 when he donated his stem cells in a bid to save her life. 'He didn't even hesitate,' Carol-Ann says. 'He just wanted her to get better.' Now 16, Cameron will walk the Mighty Stride alongside his mum and dozens of others. Among the group will be work colleagues, friends of Keira's and their mums, neighbours, and others from Forglen and Aberchirder, where Keira grew up and Carol-Ann and Keira's dad Graeme still live. Some of them will don kilts. All of them will wear specially printed t-shirts featuring Keira's name on the front and stem cell charity Anthony Nolan's logo on the back. 'The community have been amazing,' she says, adding that their goal is to raise as much money as possible. 'The fundraising so far has been fantastic.' On Sunday, 'Keira's Kilties', as Carol-Ann calls the group, will be just one small part of an amazing day. About 5,000 walkers are expected to take part in this year's Aberdeen Kiltwalk, raising money for more than 400 Scottish charities. Some, like Carol-Ann, will take on the full 18 miles Bellfield Park in Banchory to Duthie Park in Aberdeen, while others will join the shorter, four-mile Wee Wander, beginning at Cults Academy and following the River Dee to Duthie Park. Last year's event raised more than £1 million – a record-breaking total that helped causes ranging from baby banks to cancer wards. Thanks to Gift Aid and Kiltwalk's model, charities typically receive up to 125% of the funds raised in their name. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Last year, a huge cross-section of the north-east public walked for charities close to their hearts, either because they helped a loved one or themselves directly. And this year, the Kiltwalk will again be fuelled by a desire to remember a loved one, or to thank and help fund those who work tirelessly for people in need. For Carol-Ann, that sense of purpose couldn't be clearer. Keira was diagnosed with myelodysplasia syndrome – a rare form of bone marrow cancer – just before her 12th birthday. Her symptoms started with dizziness and fatigue, but Carol-Ann knew something wasn't right. 'I just had this gut feeling,' she says. 'I kept pushing, I knew there was something more going on.' Blood tests confirmed the seriousness and from there, the family's world changed overnight. One of the treatments for bone marrow cancer is a stem cell transplant, and Cameron, just a teenager, was found to be a match for his sister. 'I didn't know much about stem cell donation before,' Carol-Ann says. 'But Cameron just said yes with no hesitation. He was so brave.' The transplant went ahead. Keira fought hard, and for a while, there was hope. But though the transplant was successful, her condition worsened, and she passed away in intensive care in Glasgow. What followed, Carol-Ann says, was unimaginable. 'When a child dies, a part of you dies too,' she says. 'It doesn't heal. You just find a way to keep going – for your other children, for your family.' One of her ways of coping has been fundraising – not just for Anthony Nolan, but for the many smaller charities who offered help when the family needed it most. 'I'd never realised how much these charities do behind the scenes,' she says. 'So I wanted to give back – to say thank you.' In recent months, she's organised coffee mornings, head shaves, and local events to raise thousands of pounds. The money has gone directly to wards, families and services in Aberdeen and Glasgow. This year's Kiltwalk is the next step in that mission – and also a tribute to Cameron. 'We're doing this one for him as well,' she says. 'He's young, but what he did was amazing. Donating stem cells saved Keira's life for a time. It gave us a chance. I just want people to understand how easy it is to sign up – it's not scary, and it could save someone's life.' She hopes the team's T-shirts will spark conversations on the route – and encourage more people to join the Anthony Nolan register or donate blood. 'It's no big deal,' she says. 'It's just like giving your blood – and it could save someone's life.' As the big day approaches, Carol-Ann is keeping busy – as she always does. She works full-time for local business Norvite, cares for animals and looks after her family. 'It's how I get through the day,' she says. 'Different people cope in different ways, I just keep myself busy.' June 1 won't be easy for Carol-Ann, though she is looking forward to the walk. 'There'll be a lot of laughter because some of the people walking are real characters.' But thoughts of Keira won't be far away. Indeed, they never are. 'Keira's always on our minds,' she says. 'She was so kind, so considerate – and always smiling. She really was amazing.' To donate to Carol-Ann's fundraiser for Anthony Nolan UK, click here.
Glasgow Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Comedian Paddy McGuinness seen joining Glasgow's Kiltwalk
He joined Scottish philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter for the 14-mile Big Stroll from Clydebank to Balloch. The new Saturday event was introduced after recent years saw the traditional Sunday Kiltwalk sell out. (Image: Elaine Livingstone) READ MORE: Huge techno festival set to release final tickets this week Thousands more participants will tackle the full Kiltwalk lineup: the 23-mile Mighty Stride, the 14-mile Big Stroll, and the three-mile Wee Wander today. The Kiltwalk is one of Scotland's largest mass participation fundraising events, with walkers raising money for causes close to their hearts. (Image: Elaine Livingstone) Sir Tom Hunter, whose Hunter Foundation rescued the Kiltwalk in 2015, walked alongside Paddy, continuing their friendship after Sir Tom backed Paddy's 300-mile BBC Children in Need cycling challenge last year. During that challenge, the businessman matched public donations to boost fundraising efforts. READ MORE: Glasgow pop icon Lulu set to receive prestigious award Sharing photos from the event on Instagram, Paddy wrote: "It was a pleasure to start off this year's Kiltwalk in Glasgow this morning. "Thousands of people walking for their own individual charities. "Belting to catch up with the legend that is Sir Tom Hunter." The Kiltwalk remains one of Scotland's most beloved charity events, attracting thousands of walkers each year.
