Scotmid team successfully make bail for Maggie’s
A TEAM of Scotmid ‘jail birds’ have successfully raised a whopping £15,000 – and counting – in support of cancer care charity Maggie’s.
The initiative, dubbed ‘Jail or Bail’, saw Scotmid members Kevin Lowe, Lynne Ogg, Stuart Forsyth, Margaret Anne Clark and Craig Strachan as well as Euan Murray from Barclays banged up in The Lost Close, a hidden basement in Edinburgh, on 29 November.
The team worked together to fundraise their bail money and smashed through their target goal of £10,000 with almost three hours to spare. If they failed to reach their goal within the time limit, the team would have been locked in the location overnight.
And while the team may be breathing the fresh air now, contributions are still being collected. Anyone wishing to make a donation towards the charity can so via this link.
Their success in reaching out to rally support from customers, colleagues, members and suppliers is a testament to the community’s generosity, says Scotmid, as well as the retail chain’s determination to support Maggie’s cancer care service.
Maggie’s is Scotmid’s charity partner for 2024-25 and the monies raised from this event will go on to fund support sessions at Maggie’s centres across the UK.
The centres offer free practical, emotional and psychological support for people at any stage in their cancer journey, as well as for their loved ones making the charity’s work massively important.
Lynne Ogg, former ‘jail bird’ and Scotmid’s head of membership and community engagement, said: “What a day! When we set ourselves the ambitious target of £10,000 we knew it would be a challenge, but the support we’ve received has been incredible.
“It was daunting at first, but seeing our professional and personal community come together to support such a vital cause has been truly humbling. Every single donation will make a difference.”
Hannah Harding, partnerships lead at Maggie’s, said: “We were delighted when Team Scotmid agreed to be locked up for Maggie’s. Thanks to their hard work from behind bars and the incredible generosity of people they know, the event was a huge success.
“A special thank you must go to each of our wonderful fundraising inmates who got into the spirit.
“From being dressed in striped jumpsuits and standing before the judge, to posing for mug shots and even taking part in some street fundraising after making a run for it!
“We are also incredibly grateful to everyone who answered their call for help and donated to help them raise bail, thank you.”
