River City star Grant Stott hosts Edinburgh ‘Fawkes-y’ fundraiser in aid of CHAS

River City star and Edinburgh's favourite panto baddie, Grant Stott, will host the 2022 Fawkes-y Ladies Lunch, a charity fund-raiser in aid of CHAS at Prestonfield House, on Friday, November 5.

Grant Stott hosts

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Stott, who plays Sam Stiller in the popular BBC Scotland drama and who can be seen as the wicked Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at the King’s Theatre this festive season, will host the highly anticipated event as it finally returns after last year’s lunch had to be cancelled due to Covid.

More than 370 guests will attend the 2021 Fawkes-y Ladies Lunch, which will see attendees enjoy a variety of party games, a raffle, a champagne draw, a diamond draw and asilent auction, all of which will take place throughout the day.

CHAS' Fawkes-y Ladies Lunch

CHAS' manager of high profile events, Diane Alton, says, “The Fawkes-y Ladies Lunch has always been a popular event in the CHAS calendar and we are so glad to finally welcome all our amazing supporters back after last year’s event had to be cancelled due to Covid.

“We are grateful to our wonderful long-time headline sponsor, Artemis, and all our other sponsors and businesses who have generously donated some truly incredible prizes."

Those top prizes include a holiday to Bali, a pair of Lewis Capaldi sunglasses, a Jack Morrocco painting worth £14,500 and tickets to see singer Tony Hadley when he performs next year at the Usher Hall as well as the chance to meet him afterwards.

Entertainment on the day will be provided by one of the UK's most exciting and colourful new drag vocal groups, Queenz and the event’s special guest of honour and guest speaker will be Kathleen Shields, who will also take to the stage to share how Robin House Hospice helped provide support for her whole family after she lost her baby daughter Freya at just 83 minutes old in 2018.

Alton continues, "Thanks to everyone at Prestonfield House, to Grant Stott for hosting and to rugby star and long-time CHAS friend, Andy Nicol for running the silent auction. We are excited too to see the fabulous Queenz in action who I’m sure will get everyone on the dancefloor.

“Our heartfelt thanks also goes to our guest of honour, Kathleen Shields for sharing her story about how CHAS helped her beautiful baby daughter, Freya.

“There are currently over 16,700 children in Scotland living with a life-shortening condition and events like this ensure we can help provide much needed hospice services that families like Kathleen’s rely so heavily on.”

CHAS (Children's Hospices Across Scotland), the only charity in Scotland that provides hospice services for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions, hopes the lunch will allow them to build on the success of the last event in 2019. On that occasion, the lunch hosted by singer and actress Michelle McManus raised an incredible £181,000 for the charity.

If you would like to become involved with Children's Hospices Across Scotland fund-raising efforts, details of their Christmas appeal can be found at www.chas.org.uk/christmas-appeal

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