Jings! Oor Wullie at school in EK
ANDREA LAMBROU
The nation’s favourite son has taken up permanent residence at Canberra Primary thanks to one of its pupils.
A colourful sculpture of the iconic comic book character Oor Wullie was gifted to the school as part of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s popular Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail initiative.
Seven-year-old Cole Thomson, who has focal epilepsy, regularly visits the hospital and was handpicked to receive a smaller sculpture for his school to the delight of his classmates.
Cole’s mum, Lisa Quarrell, said: “I was contacted by Amy Aitken who is one of the amazing fundraising team at Glasgow Children’s Charity.
“She emailed me to let me know Cole had been chosen by them as one of the children who regularly attended the hospital to have an Oor Wullie statue designed by his school which would be part of Scotland’s first art trail and after the event the school would get to keep this piece of artwork.
“I was so pleased and immediately contacted Cole’s school to ask their permission to be involved and they were delighted.”
Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail was the country’s first ever nationwide public art trail aimed to unite the country while raising awareness and vital funds for Scotland’s children’s hospitals.
Two hundred life-sized sculptures of Oor Wullie were erected in the five host cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
And as well as these sculptures, smaller ones were sponsored by the hospital’s supporters at their annual ball to gift to the school of a child who visits the hospital.
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity brought the trail to the streets of Glasgow and the west, culminating in a live auction of the sculptures at Kelvingrove Museum raising £419,000 to support young patients at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.
The charity raises money to fund life-changing equipment, research, play programmes and support services at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children where nearly 200,000 children from across Scotland are cared for each year.
Kirsten Sinclair, chief operating officer at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Last summer we were proud to bring Oor Wullie to the streets of Glasgow and the west for Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail, raising over £419,000 to support young patients and their families at Glasgow’s Royal
Hospital for Children.
“Cole and his family have been supporters of the charity for many years, having raised thousands of pounds to support young patients just like him at the children’s hospital through various fundraising activities.
“We were delighted to nominate Cole to play a special part in Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail, and to have his school involved in this unique project.
“Their mini Oor Wullie statue made a fun and colourful addition to our sculpture trail over the summer months, and was enjoyed by the many thousands of people who took part.”