Raising money for Penicuik grandson

A husband and wife from Duns have been raising money to purchase a stairlift for their seven-year-old grandson from Penicuik.

Jamie Goodall, Head Keeper on the Kettleshiel Estate, presenting Rick Davies with a Cheque for £4000 towards the purchase and installation of a stair lift.

Rick Davies made and sold garden features including bird boxes/tables and kitchen accessories, all made with donated hardwood.

His wife Christine also made and sold homemade jams and chutneys to raise money for Lucas Davies, who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in late 2014, a rare genetic form of MD (only 125 boys have been diagnosed in Scotland) with as yet no known cure.

Although Lucas can live life as a normal active boy at the moment he does require nightly treatment in the form of plastic splints on his wrists and ankles to maintain muscle flexibility. Rick and Christine hope to raise enough money to install a stairlift at Lucas’s home when the time comes that transcending the stairs will become difficult for him.

Christine's homemade Jams and Chutneys.

The couple’s fundraising efforts were boosted recently when the Southern Uplands Moorland Group (SUMG) presented them with a cheque for £4,000 towards their efforts.

Mark Ewart, regional co-ordinator for the SUMG, said: “The gamekeepers were very pleased to be able to help out in this instance and wish Lucas and his family all the very best for the future.”

SUMG raise funds every year through a charity clay pigeon shoot and sporting auction, the aim being to support local NHS and other good causes and the group felt that this was a very worthwhile cause to support.