We launched our campaign back in August 2001. Since then money has rolled in for the new CHAS hospice at the rate of over £100,000 a month.
Special events
Some of the money has come from major contributors or special events.
The Philip Green Memorial Trust and the RAF, for example, have donated £250,000. The setting of a world record for the number of players to go round a golf course in one day added another £95,000. 
Then there was a concert produced by The Variety Club of Scotland, starring the cream of Scotland’s young musicians and dancers at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, which a raised £40,000.
But the vast majority of the £2.5 million has come from ordinary people from all walks of life.

People like Nancy Thomson. The former home carer from Barrhead retired and celebrated her 60th birthday on the same day recently. 
And after reading about CHAS in The Sunday Post, she made some stipulations about her big bash.
Rather than give Nancy money or gifts, the 80 revellers at the Fereneze Golf Club were told to empty their wallets for CHAS, raising more than £1300 in the process.
And Nancy organised a raffle for the big night with the help of most of her family.
She said, “My three daughters Janice, Lesley and Aileen, did a lot of the work, I couldn’t have done it without them. 
“All the youngest children in the family helped out with the collecting buckets 
too.”

Margaret and Jim Donald from Darvel, Ayrshire, kept CHAS in mind when they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. They asked along 50 guests to celebrate 50 years of marriage, but decided their presents should go to our appeal. 
Their guests donated an incredible £970, but Jim and Margaret dug deep and pushed up the total to a whopping £1800.
Typical of those who’ve supported us so generously, Jim and Margaret were modest about their gift. “We don’t want a fuss, we’re just happy we could help,” they said.

David Balden is another unsung hero. He decided he’d set himself a challenge each year to raise money for charity.
The Kelso-born house manager of the Caledonian Club, a private gentleman’s club in London, has subsequently climbed Ben Nevis and competed in the London to Brighton walk to raise cash for kids charities.
At the start of this year, he attended a fund-raising night at his local Burns Society. The chairman there, John MacMillan, explained about the work of CHAS and their plans to build a second children’s hospice in Scotland.
David decided there and then to raise money for our appeal. For the last four years he has applied to take part in the London Marathon. Each time he’s been unsuccessful in the ballot, but this year he received the letter he’d been waiting for.
The event took place in May and David staggered over the finishing line at a respectable time of 5 hours 33 minutes. More importantly, his efforts raised a marvellous £2140 towards Robin House.

Martha Crawford left Glasgow 40 years ago and now lives in County Antrim. She has followed The Sunday Post CHAS Appeal since it began and has raised money throughout, including £300 from walking the West Highland Way. 
A few months ago she was walking down the main street in Larne when she spotted £60 cash on the pavement. She dutifully took it to the police station who took her details and told her to keep it for a couple of months. If she’d heard nothing, it was hers.
Martha says, “The months passed and I heard nothing. So I decided to give the £60 to CHAS, as I’ve been following the news every week in the paper. Also, a friend’s daughter works at Rachel House so I know just how important the hospices are.”
Martha also donated £30 of her own money, plus an extra £10 her friends owed her. That brought the total to £100.

Sheena Mitchell from Milngavie asked her family and oldest friends to donate money to our appeal instead of giving her presents for her 80th birthday. Having played golf since she was 13 Sheena, who is still swinging on the course at Buchanan Golf Club, Drymen, celebrated her birthday twice in June. 
On her birthday she invited her neighbours in for a party and the following night went to the golf club, where she is a member, and all her family and friends were there to make the evening a happy memory. The 46 guests donated more than £900 and still bought Sheena presents, including a weekend break in St. Andrews.

To all of these and thousands of others — a great big thank you. But remember our job isn’t done — and won’t be until the first family walks into Robin House. 
You can contact us at The Sunday Post, c/o CHAS, 72 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DA or e-mail us at hospice@sundaypost.com Cheques should be made payable to Sunday Post CHAS Appeal.