Still Game actor Jimmy Martin donates clipper board from show to Musselburgh charity fundraiser
An actor from the hit Scottish sit-com Still Game has donated a clapper board from the show to a Musselburgh community centre, who are auctioning it off to raise funds.
Jimmy Martin, who played Auld Eric on the long-running show, handed over the clapper board from his last appearance as the character to The Hollies Musselburgh.
Mr Martin is a trustee and long-time supporter of the Musselburgh centre, which aims to prevent social isolation within the local elderly community.
The Hollies are auctioning off the clapper board on Facebook, where someone has already bid £500 for the item of memorabilia.
The bidding will close next month on March 25. The highest bidder will have a chance to collect the clapper board and meet Mr Martin himself, at a fundraiser event on April 1.
Mr Martin has been involved with the charity since 1987, when he moved to East Lothian.
He described the staff at the Hollies centre as “tremendous”, and said: “They do a marvellous job”.
The actor added that he would do “anything to help fund the Holllies”.
Liz Shannon, manager of the community hub, praised Mr Martin, and said: “He’s now 90 and he’s still actively involved with us”.
According to Ms Shannon, the actor has been a frequent guest to the The Hollies cafe, where he has been entertaining elderly visitors with stories and songs for several years.
The charity auction is just one of several fundraisers planned for the Hollies, as Ms Shannon said: “We have to fundraise year-in-year out to keep us going”.
The community hub struggled due to the Covid pandemic, and were forced to shut their doors for two years.
However, they managed to bring their popular lunch club back in August last year.
While opening back up was difficult, Ms Shannon stressed that it was worth it when she saw “people blethering, getting on with people and getting out again”.Mr Martin was born in Glasgow, but has lived in Musselburgh for several years.
Before he was cast in Still Game, he helped out at Campie Primary School's after-school club in the town.