By Philip Murray
Copyright inverness-courier
The memorial match and fun day was held earlier this month. Picture: Callum Mackay.More than £3000 has been raised for mental health charity Mikeysline after a fun day and memorial football match brought people flocking to a Black Isle community recently.The annual Graeme MacDonald Memorial Match, which was organised by Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union FC, returned at King George VI Park on the outskirts of Fortrose on September 6.People from the village and neighbouring Rosemarkie flocked to the site to enjoy the Merrythought Cup match and indulge in lots of other family fun activities and games – from stalls and tug o’war to kids football, a raffle, barbecue, appearances from the likes of the fire brigade and RNLI – and more!And the delighted team at Mikeysline were ecstatic at the event’s success, with the latest £3000 windfall from the annual match helping take the overall sum it has received through the event over the years to more than £10,000.Liz MacDonald (seated in the van) with some of the footballers. Picture: Callum Mackay.“It’s raised over £10,000 in total for Mikeysline since it’s been running,” said the charity’s Allana Stables. “Liz MacDonald, our volunteer, it’s in memory of her son, Graeme. There was a very large turnout for it and obviously it seemed to be a very successful day.“It was very well supported by the local community and many of them were involved and raised money for Mikeysline. For us, [the money is] vital… as you know, we don’t get any statutory funding.”Amelie Fea, Joyce Skinner, Emily Franklin, Joanna Kucharczyk and Kora the dog. Picture: Callum Mackay.She added that the day had also helped spark “some really heartfelt conversations as well” and helped to raise further awareness of Mikeysline and the support it offers. A spokesperson for Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union FC has thanked all those who made the day such a success. They said: “Thank you to everyone that came along to our Memorial Day. We are delighted to announce that we smashed last year’s total and raised a total of £3030.06 for Mikeysline.”Evie Williams and Siena Pettifer. Picture: Callum Mackay.For more information about Mikeysline, visit https://mikeysline.co.uk. The Highland-based mental health charity provides a range of support and services across the Highlands, islands and Moray, including drop-in hubs, text support lines, online and more.It was created in 2015 following the tragic loss of two close friends, and works to support people of all ages and genders who are dealing with crisis.Picture: Callum Mackay.Amelie Fea, and Emily Franklin. Picture: Callum Mackay.Jenna MacIver and Lauren Fraser -The Play Patch. Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Watching the football. Picture: Callum Mackay.Elsie & Maisie Doyle. Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Ice cream? Picture: Callum Mackay.Donald Trump (aka Kenny MacIver) and Vladimir Putin (aka Liam Skinner. Picture: Callum Mackay.Waiting for a hamburger. Picture: Callum Mackay.Evie Williams and Siena Pettifer. Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Elsie Doyle. Picture: Callum Mackay.Jenna MacIver and Lauren Fraser – The Play Patch. Picture: Callum Mackay.Ice cream? Picture: Callum Mackay.Maison Robertson. Picture: Callum Mackay.Donald Trump (aka Kenny MacIver) and Vladimir Putin (aka Liam Skinner. Picture: Callum Mackay.Picture: Callum Mackay.Sign up to our newsletter. Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print. Community Health Latest News Update me Philip Murray
