Scots Rugby Star Hands Over Cash For Charity

Scottish rugby star Chris Paterson has handed over£26,000 to a charity that helps cancer sufferers. Scotland’s most-capped player presented the money to Ruth Sandison, 19, and Greg Noble, 13, at Murrayfield Stadium today. The teenagers, who both have leukaemia, accepted the cash on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support. Greg will be returning to the stadium next Saturday to cheer on Scotland against Italy in the RBS 6 Nations Championship. The money was raised by the Sportsman’s Charity through the sale of copies of rugby commentator Bill McLaren’s notes from the final game he commentated on.Edinburgh full-back Paterson said: “Macmillan is a fantastic charity so I am very happy to be able to hand over such a large sum of money, especially to two teenagers who understand the importance of the services Macmillan provides. “The Sportsman’s Charity did a great job raising the cash and I know every penny will be used by Macmillan to support people affected by cancer, whether it’s through specialist cancer nurses, helplines or grants for people who are having financial problems because of their cancer.”Galashiels girl Ruth Sandison, who was helped by a Macmillan nurse after being diagnosed with cancer aged just 16, added: “I am honoured to have been asked to accept this money on behalf of Macmillan. The charity was there to help me when I needed support so it’s fantastic that Chris and the Sportsman’s Charity are giving Macmillan their backing.”Greg Noble, 13, was invited along to the launch by Ruth, who met him while they were both undergoing chemotherapy at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. Greg, a huge rugby fan, said: “It was amazing to meet Chris and be on the pitch at Murrayfield. I was happy to be there on behalf of Macmillan because the charity helps so many people with cancer.”The£26,000 Chris handed over to Ruth and Greg will be used to fund Macmillan services around Scotland. That much money could pay for a Macmillan nurse for six months, or help run a Macmillan information project for three months. The cash could also fund the Macmillan Benefits Helpline for almost a month, dealing with 595 cases and helping people with cancer access£885,833 in benefits. John Frame from the Sportsman’s Charity said: “One in three people will get cancer in their lifetimes, so right now there are a lot of people in Scotland who need all the help and support they can get.  Macmillan wants to be there for everyone who needs its help so that’s why we choose to donate this money to the charity.”Fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support David Grout added: “We are very grateful to the Sportsman’s Charity for donating this money to us, and we would like to thank Chris, Ruth and Greg for acting as our go-betweens! Every penny of the£26,000 donation will be used to help people affected by cancer living in Scotland.” Notes to editorsIn their third RBS 6 Nations fixture this year, Scotland host Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday 28 February (kick-off 3pm). This is the last opportunity to buy tickets to see the national team play live this season – tickets for Scotland v Ireland at home sold out last month.  Tickets for Scotland v Italy start at£20 for adults and£10 for U18s and Students.