Massive £240k raised for charity by Eadie clayshoot

A clay shoot and auction, organised by Gerard Eadie’s Shoot Charitable Trust, has raised almost a quarter of a million pounds for charity.

The annual shoot, the 16th organised by the boss of double-glazing specialist CR Smith, was held at Auchterhouse Country Sports near Dundee last month. Forty-one teams of shooters and 365 guests, including players from the Glasgow Warriors rubgy union team, helped to raise £120,000 each for JDRF, the leading type 1 diabetes research charity, and Maggie’s cancer centres.

The big winners

Among the winners was Bob Hannam from Harry Taylor & Co, who took home the top game Shot Gun trophy, while James Paterson & Sons were the best game Shot team. Shonagh Brown was awarded the top lady trophy, while Andrew Spence from Adam & Company was named top rookie Gun. The Jim Paterson Trophy went to Jock McGuff and the David Hendry Trophy to Frank Yorke Snr.

Celebrity chefs Nick Nairn and Tony Singh treated guests to some culinary delights. Comedian Fred MacAuley, vocal harmony group the Overtones and internationally acclaimed musician Joe Stilgoe provided the entertainment. Attendees were also treated to a fashion show courtesy of Drapers award winner Jane Davidson.

Strength to strength

Gerard Eadie CBE said: “Each year, the Shoot goes from strength to strength and we are fortunate to have the support of a generous group of people, who help us raise funds for two worthy charities.

“It has become increasingly clear to me how much our contribution means to the families these charities support. Cancer and type 1 diabetes can be particularly hard when they hit anyone, especially children, leaving families facing life-changing challenges. The money raised at the Shoot gives hope and comfort to those families, which I’m very grateful for.”

Gerard Eadie with the “King of the Shoot” © Lesley Donald Photography

King of the Shoot

One of the auction items, a 6ft penguin statue, dubbed the “King of the Shoot”, proved popular. Painted by Janice Aitken, it is dressed like a true country gent with tweeds, a checked shirt and a shotgun. It sold for £16,000, helping to push the lifetime fundraising total of the Gerard Eadie Shoot Charitable Trust up to £2.94million.