Glasgow’s Lady Provost Sheena Duncan Winter hosted a lunch in the city yesterday which raised nearly &pound30,000 for charity.
She chose Maggie’s Caring Centres and the Meningitis Trust to receive the proceeds of the event, held in the City Chambers. The Lady Provost said: “I really think that Maggie’s Centres has progressed enormously in the past few years. It offers an open door at a time of crisis and the centres themselves are so positive and warm that I wanted to support them. As for the Meningitis Trust, Olivia Giles is so inspiring in the way she lives her life and what we can learn from her. It was an easy choice.” Ms Giles, a meningitis survivor who had her hands and feet amputated, also spoke at the event and said how pleased she was the Lady Provost had recognised the charity. Kirsty Wark, patron of Maggie’s Caring Centres, opened the afternoon with a speech praising the Lady Provost for her charitable work. Ms Wark added: “It is an incredible privilege to be here. The Lady Provost has such terrific energy, I am so pleased to be supporting her charity lunch. In such straitened times it is heartening to see so many people taking part in the lunch today.” There had been worries the current economic climate would prompt a struggle to attract donations and sell tickets for the lunch. However, supporters came out in force, snapping up 300 places for lunch and creating a waiting list for tickets. The total amount raised was &pound29,000.
After entertainment by students from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, bids were taken for a range of luxury items, ranging from a traditional Silvercross pram to Elton John tickets and a behind-the-scenes trip to Scottish Ballet.