Former Dr Who Peter Capaldi was the star attraction at one of Edinburgh's most impressive fundraising events
Former Dr Who star Peter Capaldi showed why he remains so beloved of fans this weekend as he helped raise money for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
The star donated his fee for signing autographs at this year's Capital Sci-Fi Con, which is held in Edinburgh with all proceeds donated to the charity.
Highlights from the weekend included special appearances from Capaldi and Warwick Davis, star of Willow, Star Wars and Harry Potter. As well as signing autographs and meeting CHAS service user Adam Meldrum, Capaldi treated fans to a rendition of David Bowie’s Star Man on the guitar.
Capaldi also stayed an hour after the convention had closed on Saturday to meet fans who had queued to see him.
In its fourth year, the family-friendly event added an extra day to the convention to keep up with demand, making it a three-day extravaganza. The whole event is organised by community superhero Keith Armour and other volunteers, known as “causeplayers” because they fundraise through cosplay (costume play).
Laura Campbell, senior CHAS community fundraiser, said: “Keith and his team of causeplayers are a phenomenal group of fundraisers. Through their infectious passion for all things sci-fi and giving back to the community, over the years they’ve managed to raise over £187,000 for CHAS. The total raised from this weekend is still being counted, but we expect it to top last year’s £74,000.
“We can’t thank Keith and the causeplayers enough for their support. We simply couldn’t do the work we do without them and the rest of our passionate and committed supporters who are helping us on our mission of reaching every child in Scotland with a life-shortening condition.”
All profits raised by Capital Sci-Fi Con are donated to CHAS, which is the only charity in Scotland that provides hospice services for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions.
The national charity offers palliative care and respite for the whole family via its two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch. Its CHAS at Home service supports families in their own homes across the whole of Scotland and has teams working in communities and hospitals across the country.
