Charity cash coined from ink

The 12 volunteers braved the needle this week, receiving tattoos of the Down’s Syndrome Scotland logo in aid of a charity close to each of their hearts.

Each has a family member or friend with Down’s Syndrome, including Newton Mearns woman Margaret Donohue.

Margaret told The Extra: “Down’s Syndrome Scotland do an amazing amount of good work for families, and the support they give is endless.

“They helped me when my daughter, Martha, was born with two holes in her heart and cataracts.

“It’s a crucial time because you don’t know what lies ahead of you and can feel quite alone – until you get involved with the charity and realise there are lots of people in the same position.”

After various operations, Martha (14) is a healthy teenager – and Margaret and co are happy to bear a permanent mark to show how grateful they are for their families.

She explained: “It’s like we have our own little club to show support for one another, and the tattoo is also a marker of how proud we are of our children.”

The group – including residents of Eaglesham and Barrhead, as well as a mother and daughter all the way from the West Midlands – gathered at southside parlour True Colour Tattoo on Sunday, and it took all day for artists Sharon Fox and Sharon McDermott to work their magic.

Of the 12 volunteers being inked, only two (Margaret included) had been tattooed before – but all coped well on the day, including Steve Hobbs, who has a fear of needles.

And, it seems that the inventive fundraising method has paid off, as the gang have totalled £2,235 so far – with more coming in by the day.

Margaret added: “It’s an amazing amount of money, and we never imagined that we’d raise this much.

“I didn’t have a target, and thought we’d lucky to reach a couple of hundred pounds – but people have been incredibly generous.”

For anyone else feeling generous, the group are still accepting donations – to find out more, visit their Just Giving page.