Entertainment

Celebrity-filled live stream raises more than £40,000 for NHS PPE

Stars included Annie Lennox, Sam Heughan and a number of musical performances by Twin Atlantic frontman Sam Mctrusty.
Stars included Annie Lennox, Sam Heughan and a number of musical performances by Twin Atlantic frontman Sam Mctrusty. Stars included Annie Lennox, Sam Heughan and a number of musical performances by Twin Atlantic frontman Sam Mctrusty.

A live stream hosted by Edith Bowman helped raise money for PPE for front-line NHS and care staff.

For the Love of Scotland raised more than £40,000 for Masks for Scotland during the four-hour event.

A number of Scottish actors, writers and musicians made special appearances on the show, encouraging people to donate to the cause.

Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival
Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival Annie Lennox was among those performing (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Radio DJ Bowman said: “We’re here to raise money for Masks for Scotland – £15 buys a kit for one person, the masks and the gowns.”

Masks for Scotland is hoping to buy another 18,000 masks and 7,000 gowns by raising £200,000.

Bowman added: “The main reason we’re here is to try to raise money for Masks for Scotland, they are desperately trying to raise money for PPE to protect front-line workers.

“That’s why we’re here, that’s why we’ve got all these amazing people. This is the only thing I knew to do to help.”

Singer Annie Lennox performed Dream Angus, saying: “Dream Angus is one of the most beautiful, traditional Scottish folk songs that I learned as a child.

“I thought in this time of lockdown, I can well imagine it must be difficult for mums and dads to soothe their kids to sleep, and a lot of people must be having sleeping challenges.

“So this is my lullaby for Scotland at this unprecedented time.”

Actor Alan Cumming, Fran Healy of Travis, KT Tunstall and Sam Mctrusty from Twin Atlantic were among others who also gave performances.

 Sam Heughan showed off his cocktail-making skills (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Outlander star Sam Heughan served as the stream’s barman, creating a Boston sour – or as he called it, an isolation sour.

The actor, who has been isolating in Hawaii, said he had “a lot of time on his hands”, to practise drink-making.

He said: “For every person who makes the cocktail and tags me in it, I’ll donate another PPE kit.”

Heughan added: “The amount raised is really remarkable. We obviously want everyone to be really healthy. We’ve created a free 30 day workout series to help people keep fit.”

Author Ian Rankin took the time to thank care staff, saying: “My youngest son has severe disabilities and is in a care home for young adults.

“They’ve all been in lokcdown since before it started because they’ve all got underlying health issues.

“When we clap for the NHS, I would ask that we clap for all the carers. It should be as wide a clap as we can give.”

The author also took the opportunity to announce he had finished work on his 24th Inspector Rebus novel, which will hopefully be published in October.

Donations can still be made to Masks for Scotland at crowdfunder.co.uk/masks-for-scotland/