Isles dig deep as over £10,000 raised for coronavirus response and foodbank fundraisers

NEARLY £8,000 has been raised by a new campaign which aims to support Shetland’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, a creative-themed fundraiser for Shetland Foodbank has also raised over £2,500.

The Shetland Community Donations campaign, started by local businessmen Ghufar Razaq, has now raised over £7,770.

It was initially set up to raise money for more fabric and items for making scrubs for hospital staff.

It comes after a campaign was launched locally for people to sew together uniforms for NHS Shetland’s clinical staff.

Razaq’s fundraiser will also be used for “masks and other essential necessities that may be required as this continues”.

It will further be used for ingredients for Razaq’s restaurant Magno, where staff will cook for free to provide occasional “big feeds” to support frontline workers and anyone who is need.

Any leftover funds will be given to the ongoing Shetland MRI scanner appeal.

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“We are asking just whatever you can spare and together we can achieve more as a community even in these times of self-isolation and social distancing,” Razaq said.

He thanked everyone who had donated and said he “really couldn’t have even dreamed of being able to do this without this amazing community”.

A creative fundraiser for Shetland Foodbank, meanwhile, has raised over £2,500.

The campaign, started by local musician Jack Sandison, saw a virtual ‘buskathon’ held on Saturday thanks to Facebook Live.

Sandison himself performed on video in addition to Scott Moncrieff, Scott Tomlinson, Keirynn Topp and Seth Travins.

Another online buskathon is set to be held on Friday, with the performers broadening out beyond just music.

Among the talent will be Marjolein Robertson (storytelling), Nat Hall (poetry), David Bisset (singer/songwriter), Caroline Leask (bairn’s storytime), Kenny Johnson (Shetland cookery) and Peter Wood (accordion).

Sandison thanked anyone who donated to the fundraiser for the foodbank, which has had to rely on volunteers to keep the premises open after some staff had to self-isolate.