Scots celebs team up to support the Dogs Trust
Thank you so much for listening
AGROUP of kind-hearted Scottish celebrities appear in the video for a single aiming to raise money for the Dogs Trust. John Barrowman, Billy Boyd, Paul Riley and Jimmy Chisholm are among the famous faces on The One, Alyson Orr’s touching tribute to her beloved pooch Angus.
The Glasgow singer and actor, who is one third of vocal group The Swingcats, explained: “Dogs Trust are a non-profit making charity, who receive no government funding, and rely entirely on public donations.
“Like so many charities, they are struggling at the moment.
“As the centres are closed, costs are increasing but income has been decimated, so I wanted to help out.”
Alyson and her fellow Swingcats Laura Ellis and Nicola Auld recorded the single several years ago, as a celebration of Alyson’s King Charles Spaniel Angus, whom she says she “loves and misses to this day.”
“I wanted to get across the joy a rescued dog can bring to a household,” she says.
“There are so many dogs that need loving new homes – often after they have suffered unspeakable cruelty or neglect. I wanted to tell people that it’s OK to re-home a dog; that it will work out – there is just as much love second time around for both the dog and the owner.”
“My dog Angus came to me because his owner couldn’t look after him any longer. I can safely say that giving Angus a new home is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”
Alyson is hoping the song will appeal to dog lovers everywhere.
“Maybe it will bring back special memories of lost pets or prompt people to consider adding a new family member in the shape of a rescued dog, to their household,” she smiles.
“It was an interesting experience making the video and we were very grateful to Billy Boyd and John Barrowman and everyone who generously gave up their time to appear in the music video.
“The centre in Glasgow really got behind it and were very supportive. We also got to meet the dogs, which was amazing – we all love dogs.”
Catherine Gillie, regional manager for Dogs Trust in Scotland, said: “We are extremely grateful to Alyson for this gesture in these uncertain times – and to the overwhelming number of people who have offered their kindness and support for the dogs in our care. Without you we wouldn’t be able to do our vital work.
“These are challenging times for everyone, and while we are coping well, we do expect in the coming weeks there will be an increased demand for our services.
“The money raised by Alyson and through our incredible Dogs Trust donors will go a long way to helping us limit the impact of this crisis on dog welfare.”
Alyson is also a theatre producer and her latest show, Still Gaun, gives audiences the chance to ask Still Game stars Paul Riley, Jane McCarry and Mark Cox, questions about the hit show which ended its theatre and TV run last year.
Performances due to take place this autumn have been postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The One costs 79p and is available on iTunes now, with all profits going to Dogs Trust.