Hollywood actress Karen Gillan has secured a cash boost of more than £40,000 to support a Highlands mental health charity by going head-to-head with other movie superheroes.
The Inverness-born Guardians of the Galaxy star joined an American football fantasy league with some of the biggest blockbuster names to raise cash for their chosen cause.
After a season competing with superheroes on the virtual field, Miss Gillan has won nearly £44,000 for mental health charity Mikeysline, which provides confidential support for those in emotional distress.
Superheroes go head-to-head to help causes
The 33-year-old pitted her sporting knowledge against a field including Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr, Ant-Man actor Paul Rudd and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth.
Miss Gillan said: “I was grateful to get the chance to raise money for a charity I support wholeheartedly.
Number of suicides in Highland in 2019 was the highest since records began
“The work Mikeysline does is invaluable to our community in the Highlands and I want to make sure that everyone knows that there is always someone to talk to at Mikeysline.
“No matter who, you will always be listened to and supported at Mikeysline.”
The Jumanji star became a Mikeysline ambassador after becoming “concerned and worried” about the high suicide rate in the Highlands.
Although the charity’s drop-in centre in Inverness is currently closed, the cause has been running a call-back service for those needing support during lockdown.
Cash boost from Gillan will help sustain mental health services
Miss Gillan raised money for the mental health cause by competing in a fantasy football league against a field of other superheroes from movies.
Each star gained points based on how their chosen players performed during the actual NFL season with a $1million prize pot being shared depending on how they scored.
Despite coming 14th in the league, Miss Gillan still secured a $60,000 boost for her chosen charity, with the winner Chris Pratt winning $190,000.
The Jumanji star also raised $5,000 for Mikeysline in the inaugural season of the competition last year.
The league is organised by independent film production company AGBO, best known for its work in the Marvel universe, including the Avengers series.
Donna Smith, chairwoman of Mikeysline, explained the cash boost would help sustain the charity through the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said: “We are delighted that Karen continued her support for us through the AGBO Superhero League again this year.
“The league is a fantastic way of raising awareness of the charities chosen, putting us on a global stage.
“The amount that Karen has won for us this year will make a significant impact to the services we are able to provide at a time when charities continue to be faced by fundraising challenges due to the ongoing pandemic for which we are very thankful.”
Mikeysline still offering mental health support through pandemic
Mikeysline’s live text service has been unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic and remains open every evening on 07786 207755 for those needing support.
The charity can also be contacted for a live chat service online through its Twitter or Facebook Messenger accounts.
A call-back service is also being offered for those who want to discuss their issues in more detail.
