Tablet triumph as Jill raises £38k
Sweet treat makes money for host of good causes
Life is a lot sweeter for a host of charities thanks to a Dunblane woman who has raised almost £40,000 by selling her home-made tablet.
Jill Arthur started selling the Scottish sugary treat to make money for good causes around eight years ago.
Since then she has racked up donations of £38,000 for a host of beneficiaries including Strathcarron Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support, CHAS, cancer charities, Erskine Hospital, RNIB, Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and mental health charities.
The 78-year-old first started making tablet more than 50 years ago.
An accomplished bridge player, who has played for Scotland, she became as well known for her confectionery as for her card-playing skills when she and her late husband Jimmie played the game across the world.
Jill proved herself to be an invaluable support particularly when Jimmie, an international gold medal winner in the game, became a non-playing captain of the British Ladies bridge team.
An accomplished player in her own right, Jill even met ‘Dr Zhivago’ star and renowned player Omar Sharif on her travels.
She and her bridge partner Sheila Macdonald were chosen as members of the first ever Scottish Ladies Team at the 11th World Bridge Teams Olympiad in Maastricht, The Netherlands in 2000. They were beaten by only a few points by the USA who then went on to resoundingly beat Canada for the title.
Jill started playing bridge in 1968 thanks to her mum Chris Harrison - and always endeavoured to provide her famous tablet and shortbread for the players - to the point of it even getting a mention in the Maastricht Olympiad’s newsletter.
Royalty have even had a chance to sample Jill’s handiwork. A few years ago she presented a bag of tablet to HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne during one of her visits to Strathcarron Hospice.
“She asked me what it was,” said Jill, “so I explained how it was made. She told her lady-inwaiting they would have some of it later.”
Jill was devastated by Jimmie’s death 10 years ago but embarked on her tablet fundaising efforts as a way of concentrating on something positive.
“I have a very full life. Lots of places such as Bologna, Woodwinters and the Westlands Hotel have helped by taking in donations for my tablet. I usually ask for £1 a bag but people are very generous and have been known to leave anything from £2 to £20. Tesco are very helpful with ingredients as well. Harry Turnbull of Stirling Stone and The Green Gates Curry House are also really supportive. Without people like these I wouldn’t have been able to raise so much money for these charities.”
Jill pays for all the ingredients herself, with the money raised from sale of the tablet all going to charity. At the moment she even has 10 dozen tins of condensed milk and 70 bags of sugar in her cupboards helping to keep up her good work.
Her efforts are all the more remarkable given that she suffers from arthritis, particularly in her hands.
“I have to say a special thank you to the doctors’ surgery in Dunblane. The whole surgery, particularly Dr Watson and Dr Wright, has been really supportive both with myself and my daughter Christine, who also has health issues. They have really helped with both her condition and mine, helping me to do what I need to do.”
Christine said: “My mum is an amazing person. She has been a huge support to me and she does so much for other people. I’m really proud of her and grateful to her.”
I usually ask for £1 a bag but people are very generous and have been known to leave anything from £2 to £20