Wise old men with the Spirit of Youth

By Murray Scougall WHEN most people reach retirement age, they wind down, take it easy and find spare time to indulge in a hobby or two. But a group of men from Falkirk found that golf, fishing and bowling weren’t enough to keep them amused. Instead, they decided to dedicate their leisure time to a worthwhile cause — and the Spirit of Youth concert was born. The show, which will be presented by Sally Magnusson and screened by BBC Scotland, will raise funds for The Sunday Post Hospice Appeal.

From left, Sandy Murrison, David Cunningham and Charlie Cameron.

It features eight of Scotland’s top youth music and dance acts, who’ll perform at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Sunday, November 25.
David Cunningham, Charlie Cameron, Sandy Murrison and Alex Young are the big-hearted gents whose vision and ambition got the show on the road.
The quartet have been involved in fund-raising activities throughout their working lives.
When they retired, they realised they could spend even more time helping charities.
Two years ago, they got together to form Friends of CHAS and raise money for Rachel House, Scotland’s only hospice for children with life-limiting conditions.
Their first major fund-raising event, a concert in Falkirk Town Hall, raised an amazing £22,500.
Now they hope to go even higher with Spirit of Youth.
Charlie Cameron said, “We are determined to raise a considerable sum for the much-needed second hospice, near Loch Lomond. 
“We are confident that the Spirit of Youth can be another winner and would hope that the many people who were thrilled by last year’s show can support these talented youngsters, and all concerned, a second time.”
David Cunningham, Falkirk’s former civic entertainment officer, said, “When we saw that CHAS was trying to build a second hospice and after the success of our first concert, we thought we could take our original show to Glasgow and give it more exposure. This time it’s on a much bigger scale. We have more performers taking part, it’s in a bigger venue and we also have the added bonus that it is being shown on TV.” 
More than 1100 tickets have been sold for the event, which features acts from all parts of Scotland.
David Cunningham added, “For me, one of the most satisfying things about this is the immediate response we’ve had from the young performers who are enthusiastically supporting the event.
“They are going to help so many youngsters of the same age who happen to be less fortunate than themselves. 
“The talent and standard of performance from these artists will captivate the concert hall audience.” 
SPIRIT of Youth is being presented by the Variety Club of Scotland, in association with Friends of CHAS and The Sunday Post.
Tickets (£12.50 and £10.50 for adults, £10.50 and £8.50 for children) are available from the ticket hotline (0141 353 8000) or Glasgow Royal Concert Hall box office. All proceeds will go to The Sunday Post Hospice Appeal.

You can e-mail us at: hospice@sundaypost.com