Two stories from today’s paper about local youngsters’ fundraising efforts to help the situation in Ukraine. It is heartwarming to see what people are doing to help out at a grassroots level and I reckon the fact that it is children trying to do some good is a positive sign which says a lot in a good way for the younger generation.

FOUR Inverness youngsters who were concerned with events in Ukraine decided to hold a jumble sale to raise more than £600 to help.

The four friends from Culduthel Mains Gardens set out a table in a green area in their street and sold a variety of items.

It was organised by Lucy Abernethy, Martha Macdonald, and Hollie Stephen, who all go to Lochardil Primary School, and their friend Halle Cran who attends the Gaelic school.

Items which were for sale included crafts, pictures, baked goods, headbands and they also held a raffle on Saturday.

Lucy’s dad Keith said he was pleased with what his daughter and her friends had achieved, adding: “Between the four of them they came up with this idea. It was their idea and they pushed it.”

He said he was “taken aback” by his daughter’s reaction to the news. He said: “As parents we thought it was a good idea and a good thing to do.”

After the event was publicised through the street’s Facebook page people came from the wider area to support the cause.

Mr Abernethy said they raised well over £600 and the money was donated to the Ukraine appeal at the local post office.

From The Inverness Courier on Friday, April 8, 2022.

Helping the people of Ukraine

A QUARTET of youngsters has raised more than £600 to help people affected by the war in Ukraine.

Martine Kelly, who is the headteacher at Croy Primary School, was so pleased with what his four pupils achieved that she contacted the Courier to make sure they received the recognition they deserved.

P6 pupils Eva Simpson, Isobel Smith, Izzy Hughes and Holly Blackburn approached Mrs Kelly to help them raise funds after seeing what was happening in Ukraine.

They baked and sold cakes, approached a local restaurant to help them provide a cake to raffle and organised a throw-the sponge-at-Mrs-Kelly session one afternoon.

In total their efforts raised £641 which Mrs Kelly said was a huge amount for the school to have realised.

“I think what they have achieved is remarkable,” she said. “They are so kind and thoughtful to others who need our help. It is a real skill to pull together a school event and they managed it very capably.”

Mrs Kelly said Holly Blackburn had been inspired by watching the news about the events in Ukraine and added: “She approached the other girls who were keen to help her raise funds and awareness amongst our school community.

“They planned the bake sale and wrote a letter to their teacher’s husband, Craig McKay, who is the owner of McKays at the Kings restaurant in Torvean, who was very happy to support them.

“He made a large cake for their raffle and the girls then approached our clerical assistant, Audrey Angus, to ask if she would be able to order them a cake topper in the colours of the Ukraine flag.

“They identified that the other children would donate money if they also had something fun to look forward to and they decided that throwing sponges with yellow and blue coloured water at staff would raise a lot, and it did.”

Mrs Kelly said that they had gained a great sense of achievement and they were recognised widely in their school community as very responsible citizens.

She said she also wanted to thank the school community for their support.

From The Inverness Courier on Friday, April 8, 2022.