Find the giant Christmas bauble I designed for the Beatson Appeal and raise money for charity... here’s a clue – I love penguins!

It’s December so we can now officially start to gear up for Christmas.

I don’t like to start thinking about anything festive until now, but I’ve made my shopping list, bought my cards and taken the decorations down from the loft.

At this time of the year, I’m in good company when it comes to helping a very deserving charity with a festive twist.

I’ve joined forces with the likes of Game of Throne’s Kate Dickie, Martin Compston from Line of Duty, singer songwriter KT Tunstall and the incomparable Jane McCarry, who plays Isa in Still Game, to design a giant Christmas tree bauble to help raise funds for patients and families affected by cancer in Scotland.

The Beatson Charity Bauble Appeal has run for the last three years, and is a really fun way to raise awareness and much needed cash.

Christmas shoppers can find the giant baubles in various shopping centres across the West of Scotland.

All you have to do is take pictures of the big baubles and post them on social media using the hashtag #BeatsonBauble.

It’s all in support of Scotland’s leading cancer hospital, which helps more than 8000 new patients each year. Every bauble has a collection box for those wanting to donate to this wonderful cause.

I was delighted to be asked to design a Big Beatson Bauble and to support the appeal. I love penguins and my design was inspired by the hundreds and thousands of King penguins I saw with my husband Steve during our trip to Antarctica earlier this year. I always think penguins are even more Christmassy than reindeer and they look so cute and comical. It was such a fun way to help such a deserving cause.

Jane McCarry designed a fairy inspired Beatson Bauble, and she said: “Christmas brings out the best in folk. It’s a time for hope, faith and charity and the Beatson sits at the heart of that. I’m delighted to support such a fantastic charity and as I usually play the fairy godmother in panto every year, I thought a wee bit of magic and fairy sparkle would be just the thing for my Christmas bauble.”

I really like Jane’s design for her bauble and I’m looking forward to putting my own little fairy on top of my tree later this month. She’s a bit wonky and moth-eaten, but has been in the family for so long that I couldn’t possibly replace her. The Beatson appeal is also a cause close to the heart of Martin Compston, who had us all gripped with his performance in Line Of Duty, which in my opinion was the best drama of the year.

He made such a good point when he reminded us all that when you have lost someone you love to cancer, Christmas can be one of the toughest times.

It’s these special occasions like birthdays, and weddings where there’s an empty chair.

You can explore the Beatson Cancer Charity Bauble Track and uncover the seven Beatson Baubles hidden across the country later this month. www.beatsoncancercharity.org