Fundraiser makes it a family affair for bridge crossing in his centenary year

FiFe: Generations gather to help dedicated Christian Aid supporter

Four generations of the same family came together on Saturday to complete a charity bridge cross to help celebrate a dedicated Christian Aid supporter’s centenary year.

The Rev Douglas Tucker will turn 100 this year, so to mark the occasion he was joined on his annual sponsored walk across the Tay Road Bridge in support of Christian Aid by son Peter Tucker, 55, granddaughter Katherine Chilvers, 47, and eldest great-granddaughter Eleanor Chilvers, 17.

The retired minister, originally from Swansea, is one of Christian Aid’s oldest and longest serving supporters having been involved with the charity since its beginnings in 1945 when it was created to help refugees in Europe after the war.

In 1957, Mr Tucker collected house-tohouse in Newcastle for the first Christian Aid Week and was struck by people’s generosity.

“In the downtown slums of Newcastle there were these ladies and great people who had nothing but they would put pence aside every week so when you went to the house in Christian Aid Week they had a huge bag of coins,” he said.

“It made you very, very humble because they had nothing, but what they had they gave.”

The D-Day landings veteran now lives in St Andrews and has taken part in the Tay Bridge Cross for 16 years, raising thousands of pounds for Christian Aid.

However, in recent years Mr Tucker has only been able to complete the sponsored cross in a wheelchair, so a member of his family has always been on hand to help.

Eleanor, who came up from Worcestershire to make the day a memorable one, said: “In one way or another, he has dedicated his life to helping others so it’s a great honour for me to help him take part in the sponsored cross raising funds for those less privileged than ourselves.”

Douglas and Eleanor’s sponsorship page is still available for donations online via www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/ Greatgrand paa ndEllie.

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Mr Tucker with son Peter, granddaughter Katherine and great-granddaughter Eleanor on their charity crossing from Fife to Dundee.