Family raise more than £1,000 in memory of Dollar woman

May Beveridge passed away on January 6, aged 83, and was known across Clackmannanshire for her involvement in bowls committees.

She was the secretary of Dollar Bowling Club and also held a position as the county secretary for Clackmannanshire Ladies Bowlers.

During her funeral, her family teamed up with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland and raised £1,365.55 for the charity.

May lived in Dollar with her husband David who said he was stunned by the amount raised and praised the community for their generosity.

FUNDRAISER: May's husband David and their daughters raised over £1000 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland.

He said: “Everybody was shocked by the amount. The church raised so much of that themselves.

“That just shows how well she was known throughout Clackmannanshire.

“She loved her bowls. West of Scotland Guild, Co-Operative Guild – you name it, she was in the whole lot.”

Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and the spinal cord do not develop completely.

David went on to say that their third daughter was born with spina bifida and passed away just three weeks later, explaining that fundraising for the charity is what May would have wanted.

May and David met in Alva in the 50s and went on their first date after a bit of confusion.

“We met at the Cochrane Hall,” David continued. “I asked her if she wanted to go to the pictures and we set up a meet. But I went to the wrong place and when I met up with her, she went through me like a ton of bricks.

“But, we got to the pictures that night and then we went to the Cochrane Hall to dance to some of the finest bands.”

FUNDRAISER: May's husband David and their daughters raised over £1000 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland. Picture by Jan van der Merwe.

May’s family will receive a letter from the charity thanking them for the support and will also appear in their annual book to celebrate the past year.

Deborah Roe, director of fundraising for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland, said: “We are truly grateful for this thoughtful collection which will make a big impact on the lives of the families we support across Scotland.

“As a small charity, we rely on donations to continue and this donation will assist our dedicated team of family support workers and counsellors in providing a range of services.

“This includes one-to-one support for families with new born babies affected by rare disabilities, finance and benefits advice and support and social groups.

“Thank you to all those who gave so generously.”