Thousands of hand-made rainbows in recognition of the NHS have been posted in from across the country to support a north-east charity offering vital help to families going through tough times.
Following a plea issued in October, people from all over Scotland have been sending knitted and crocheted rainbows to be hung on the Thank You NHS Rainbow Tree, which is one of many being auctioned off for the Archie Foundation.
Each of the trees at Marischal Square in Aberdeen have been sponsored by organisations from across the region – and money raised will enable the charity to continue providing its support for babies, children and families in the north.
Earlier this week, the Press and Journal had an exclusive look of the selection of impressive nine-foot Christmas trees, which have been up for sale since Monday.
Included in the selection is a tree sponsored by Aberdeen FC with signed memorabilia, which has been one of the most popular with bids reaching £300.
The tree donated by the Aberdeen Clinic Healthcare has recently received another special addition to its decoration – a bauble signed by classical singer Katherine Jenkins.
However, the star of the festive fundraiser has been a rainbow-themed Oor Wullie statue, which has been made available to buy instead of the Thank you NHS Rainbow Tree.
The colourful version of Scotland’s most famous schoolboy, usually found in black and white in the pages of the Sunday Post, has notched up bids of £1,000.
Lynne Brooks, gift and donations manager at the Archie Foundation, has encouraged people to support the charity and buy a tree for their home.
She said: “With all fundraisers cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, this is our main event to secure funds, which are vital for continuing to provide our service.
“Every bid and every donation can make such a difference.
“The auction has been a success so far and we are so grateful to everybody who has supported our campaign, but I would encourage people to continue bidding and buy a tree for home or for an office.”
People have until Sunday to bid for the decorated trees, with successful buyers being announced at the online auction on November 30.
