Gargoyles carol singing gives butterfly charity boost

Popular West Stirlingshire singing group The Gargoyles of Gargunnock raised more than £600 at a number of festive events.

And this week members handed over a cheque to their chosen charity - Butterfly Conservation Scotland, whose base is in Stirling.

The Gargoyles are made up of three friends - Helen Rowell, Zoe Fouracre and Liz Wilkinson and in the lead up to Christmas, they performed at four events Callander Rotary Christmas Fayre; Buchlyvie Church Guild’s Christmas Concert in the Kirk; Gargunnock Walking Group Christmas Dinner and at The Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling.

Helen also organises the annual Gargunnock Community Carol Singing where around 20 singers, including the Gargoyles and others from various choirs plus non choir members, visited four venues on December 17 - Helen and Willie Scott at Meiklewood House; Gargunnock Kirk; Elizabeth and Edmond Mansion and The Gargunnock Inn.

“This year along with the carol singers we had three primary schoolgirls singing who had learned signing for the deaf and it was their signing of Silent Night as we sang that stole

From Gargunnock Gargoyles to Butterfly Conservation Scotland Left to right - Shona Greig (BCS), Lynne Rickard, Helen Rowell, Zoe Fouracre, Jeremy Wilkinson, Liz Wilkinson

Cheque

everyone’s hearts,”said Helen.

“We also had help from a 90 year old friend who has been writing our charity big cheques in beautiful copperplate handwriting for many years for us - so we had input from eight year-olds to a 90 year-old and

everyone in between to raise the donation!”

In total £612 was raised and office manager at Butterfly Conservation Scotland Shona Greig said:“We are delighted the Gargoyles selected us as the charity of choice for their

Christmas fundraising and we would like to give them a huge thank you for managing to raise such an impressive amount with their wonderful singing.

“The money will go to our Heritage Lottery-funded Helping Hand for Butterflies

project which creates wildflower meadows and trains volunteers to help save our native butterflies and moths.”

The Gargoyles of Gargunnock perform at the Stirling Walking of the Marches Festival on Saturday, May 30.