Charity Raffle Tops £200,000 As Edinburgh Winner Collects Her New Car
Callum Banks, General Sales Manager; Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home; raffle winner Jenni; Gillian MacCauley from Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home; Beth Aynsley, Head of PR and Social at Vertu Motors
In a delightful twist of fate, an Edinburgh resident is now the proud owner of a Toyota Aygo X, having won it in a charity raffle she entered to support the animal sanctuary from which she adopted her cherished cat.
Jenni Campbell collected the keys to her new 73-Reg car from her local Macklin Motors Edinburgh East Hyundai dealership, after her ticket was pulled from thousands of entrants to the Great Christmas Raffle, organised by Charity Escapes with the prize supplied by Vertu Motors, which operates as Macklin Motors in Scotland.
The Great Christmas Raffle was established in 2020 to support charities that faced challenges with their fundraising efforts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, rising costs ever since have forced Charity Escapes, the organisation which facilitates the Great Christmas Raffle, to close its doors. Over the past four years, the Great Christmas Raffle has raised more than £200,000 for over 100 local charities up and down the country, all through raffling off a brand new car supplied annually by Vertu Motors.
Collecting her new vehicle, Jenni said: “I am over the moon to have won myself a new car whilst being able to help out Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. Two years ago, I collected my amazing cat Tara from there, after they helped care for her when her last owners no longer could.
“Tara was sitting on my lap when I received an email from Edinburgh Dog and Cat and Home about their involvement in the Great Christmas Raffle, purring away, and when I saw it was the newer version of the car I already had, I knew I had to enter!
“So, not only has Tara made me a very happy cat owner, she has also made me a very happy new car owner. Adopting her has been one of the best decisions of my life!
“I think Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is a truly wonderful charity. The way they look after animals who have been through some awful experiences, providing them with love and care to recover and find new homes, is so amazing. Their foodbanks also help owners who are struggling, helping them to avoid having to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their cherished pet.
“I want to say a huge thank you to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home for all the incredible work they do, the Great Christmas Raffle for having provided support to so many deserving causes, and Vertu Motors for giving away this incredible prize that I can’t wait to take home!”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide Jenni – and Tara – with this lovely new Toyota Aygo X. I loved hearing her story about why she decided to enter the raffle, and the fact that this is the next model of her current car is almost too good to be true.
“Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home are a close neighbour of our Macklin Motors Edinburgh East Hyundai dealership; we are very proud to support local charities to which we share communities with.
“We’ve supported the Great Christmas Raffle since the very beginning, offering a new car and our support to help make it a success. In the last four years, we’ve been able to help raise over £200,000 for some amazing causes nationwide, helping many struggling charities during one of the toughest fundraising environments there has been with Covid, a huge rise in operational costs and greater demand for their services. It is a shame that such a brilliant organisation is closing, but there is no doubt Charity Escapes’ work has been incredible over the years, leaving much to be celebrated.”
Gillian MacAulay, Legacy and Individual Giving Manager at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “We’re delighted that one of our supporters who has benefitted from rehoming one of our lovely animals was the lucky winner of this amazing prize. We receive no government funding so initiatives like the Great Christmas Raffle, with this fantastic car from Vertu Motors, is an excellent incentive for the public to get involved and support our work.
“We’re a small but dedicated team united by our unconditional love of animals and our dedication towards their care, whatever it takes.”
Jordon Procter, Account Manager at Charity Escapes, which operates the raffle, said: “It’s a bittersweet moment for us as we hand over the keys to the last Great Christmas Raffle car. Jenni and Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home are very worthy winners of the final prize, and I am proud of the fact we have been able to help so many amazing charities over the years.
“We couldn’t have done it without Vertu Motors and we’re incredibly grateful to have had their support right from the start.”