GIRLGUIDING members from across the Borders completed ‘do a mile for Margaret’ recently and raised more than £8,000 for the palliative care unit.

Across the area a total of 28 Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, and Senior Section units along with adult volunteers joined in the fundraising challenge to walk, jog and even scooter a sponsored mile in support of the Borders General Hospital ward.

Girlguiding Tweed Valley members were inspired to do their part to support in memory of local volunteer and Rainbow leader Dina Nicoll, who was a patient there.

How members did their mile was up to them and girls showed off their creativity with girls opting to run, jog, cycle, skip, dance, bounce and scooter, while one group even completed their mile on an assault course.

Together Girlguiding Tweed Valley members smashed their initial fundraising target of £1,000 going onto raise more than eight times as much.

Carys, 14, of the 1st Tweedbank Guides said: “We had so much fun doing our mile – we decided to walk with all the Rainbows, Brownies and Senior Section Members in Tweedbank - Brownies from Galashiels joined us too and we walked from the train station to Abbotsford House for our mile.

“It was amazing because there were over 100 of us on the night, it wasn’t a long walk because the rainbows only have little legs and we wanted them to come with us too but we really enjoyed seeing everyone there and helping each other along.

“At Guides we’ve been learning all about how we can take action and help causes we care about – it feels good to know that the money we’ve raised is going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.”

The members raised a fantastic £8,194.

Gail Fox, County Commissioner for Girlguiding Tweed Valley and Leader of the 1st Tweedbank Guides, added: “It was brilliant to see girls from all over Tweed Valley getting involved and doing their part. We were particularly impressed with all the creative way units found to do their mile – from dancing to hiking and even one group who went round an assault course as many times as it took to make a mile!

“Seeing the effort the girls were putting in inspired me and a few other leaders to push ourselves that bit further too and hike up Ben Nevis to help raise even more funds.

“Social action projects like this are a really important part of Girlguiding. This challenge has shown the girls that when they take action they can make a real difference to people in their communities and beyond I hope all our members feel really proud of just how much they’ve achieved.”

Empowering girls to take action and make a difference is just one of many opportunities Girlguiding Scotland can offer girls and young women aged five to 25, offering a hugely varied programme incorporating everything from camping to campaigning, adventurous activities to international travel plus badges in science, computing, survival skills and more.

Karen Wilson, Fundraising Manager of The Difference, said "We are so grateful to each member of Tweed Valley Girl Guiding who did a "Mile for the Margaret Kerr Unit" - what a fantastic group effort!

"The money will go to our palliative care fund which supports the palliative care team within the Margaret Kerr unit but also the wider Palliative care services the team provides.

“Donations help to buy the "extras" that wouldn't ordinarily be funded from NHS budgets so these are often the little things that make a big difference to our patients and their families."

As the leading charity for girls and young women in Scotland, Girlguiding Scotland builds girls’ confidence and raises their aspirations, giving them their own space to have fun and build friendships.

To find out more about registering your daughter to join the fun and adventure of Girlguiding Scotland or to volunteer visit www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/get-involved/