Billy Connolly mini figures raise over £9k for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity

What’s happening? Limited-edition miniature replicas of Glaswegian legend Sir Billy Connolly, created by Buchanan Galleries for charity, raised £9,766 after they went on sale earlier this month (4 September).

Fans of the loved comedian queued from 4am to get their hands on the figurines which sold out by 1pm.

Why it matters: 100 per cent of the money raised from the ‘Wee Big Yins’ has been donated to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity to ensure every baby, child and young person treated at Scotland’s largest children’s hospital receives the extra special care they deserve.

What Billy Connolly figures were available? 575 single Funny Yin’s and 57 of the full sets of all five ‘Wee Big Yins’ including The Musician Yin, The Biker Yin, The Actor Yin, The Artist Yin and The Funny Yin, were available to purchase via a charitable donation. The last figurine was, fittingly, purchased by Aislin Smith, a former patient and Volunteer of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

Kathy Murdoch, Centre Manager, Buchanan Galleries, said: “We’re so pleased the one-day sale of the ‘Wee Big Yins’ was such a huge success and raised almost £10,000 for such a worthwhile cause.

“Billy Connolly fans travelled from far and wide on the day to get their hands on the minifigures, which represented a different stage in the incredible career of the multi-talented star, from his early days as a musician and comedian to his time now as an acclaimed artist.

“It’s been such an honour to create the minifigures to raise money for the charity which has supported so many people in the area, and we’d like to thank Billy and his wife Pamela for allowing us to bring this wee idea to life for such a great cause.

“All the figurines sold out within just four hours of going on sale – which has broken the record for the largest amount raised for the charity in such a short space of time at a single shopping centre.”

William McGowan, Head of Partnerships & Events at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity added: “We would like to share our thanks to the shoppers and staff at Buchanan Galleries for continuing to stand by our hospital community.

“As we mark our 20th Anniversary and reflect on the incredible impact made by our supporters over the years, it was fantastic to see the city centre of Glasgow come to life for such a special event in support of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

“Money raised through the ‘Wee Big Yins’ campaign will help to fund our life-changing projects and support services for young patients, their families and the NHS heroes caring for them in hospital. Thank you to everyone involved for making this possible.”