Top Scots fundraiser joins celebrities as charity ambassador

Published on Thursday 16 July 2009 09:54

THERE may not be many things football star Frank Lampard, Miss Moneypenny actress Samantha Bond, champion golfer Thomas Bjorn and Edinburgh fundraiser Lynne McNicoll have in common.

But one thing they do share is that they are all ambassadors for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT).

Mrs McNicoll, who has raised 500,000 for the charity, has just been named its first ambassador for Scotland, making her the only non-celebrity to be given the role.

The 52-year-old has dedicated the past three years to fundraising for TCT and has worked tirelessly to spread the word of the charity wherever possible. Now she has been officially recognised for the work and will be known across the country as the face of TCT in Scotland.

Mrs McNicoll, from Craiglockhart, said the honour came completely out of the blue.

She said: "It's a very nice honour to be given, and it was completely unexpected. I suppose it encompasses my role better because although I'm a volunteer fundraiser, I also spend almost as much time talking about the charity as I do about raising money, so this title sums it up better.

"I think I have made this role my own in many ways, doing things like speaking to community groups, and I will be continuing to do that."

She added: "Of course, I've already had my fair share of Ferrero Rocher jokes now that I'm an ambassador."

Mrs McNicoll is currently on a major fundraising drive to raise 100,000 in just one month to bring the charity closer to the 1 million needed to build a new unit for teenagers with cancer at the Western General.

A temporary unit at the Sick Kids hospital in Sciennes is due to open within a few weeks and it is hoped the new unit at the Western General will be ready in 2010. It will mean that every teenager diagnosed with cancer in the Lothians will no longer have to go into wards with either very young children or adults within three years.

The 30 days of fundraising drive will take place in September and the idea is to enlist as many people as possible to host their own events and come up with ways to raise cash.

She plans to travel across the east coast of Scotland to gain support in a number of towns and cities and hopes her new title will encourage more people to sign up to take part in the challenge.

Dawn Crosby, TCT's head of Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: "We are delighted that Lynne has agreed to become Teenage Cancer Trust's first ambassador in Scotland. This is the first time there has been such a role, and we are very much looking forward to working with her in this capacity.

"We have an exciting year planned for the charity, including launching a 1m appeal for a new unit in Edinburgh.

"Lynne is already one of our major fundraisers and is vital in raising much needed awareness of Teenage Cancer Trust's work and our aim to improve care for young people with cancer in Scotland."

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