This year the event takes place virtually

Emma Thompson, Peter Capaldi and Melissa Joan Hart are among those donating personal prizes in aid of Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).

The stars are contributing as part of Virtual Capital Sci-Fi Con 2021, which is taking place on 13 March.

Now in its sixth year, the hugely popular pop culture, comic and movie convention features panel talks with famous faces from the world of film and TV, fun workshops, cosplay competitions, comic artists/writers, top traders and high profile auction items.

One of this year’s top auction prizes is an exclusive dressing gown, donated by Emma Thompson and emblazoned with ‘M.I.B’ and ‘O’, in reference to her role as Agent O in Men in Black III and Men in Black: International. Emma has also included a personal note with the gown in which describes CHAS as “the most wonderful and vital organisation imaginable”.

Other exclusive prizes include a personalised video message from Sabrina the Teenage Witch actress, Melissa Joan Hart and a signed Doctor Who script, gifted by former timelord, Peter Capaldi from the series ten finale, ‘The Doctor Falls’.

Peter Capaldi said: “I hope it helps raise lots of vital funds for CHAS, an incredible charity that helps so many vulnerable children and their families across Scotland.”

Bids can also be made for various signed autographs on the auction page and a bottle of SPEY Royal Choice single malt whisky, donated by Atlanta-based whisky company, The Scotch World. A full list of the auction prizes is available here.

This year’s Capital Sci-Fi Con celebrity guest line-up includes Star Wars stars, Arti Shah, Charlotte Louise and Dee Tails, Doctor Who stars, Clem So and Jon Davey, Game of Thrones actors, Miltos Yerolemou, Ross Mullan and Ian Whyte, Louis Ozowa and Oleg Taktarov from Predator and puppeteers, Mike Quinn, Simon J Williamson and Toby Phillpott from The Dark Crystal.

There will also be a Wonder Woman panel talk featuring Scottish-born actress, Lilly Aspell who played Young Diana (Gal Gadot) in Wonder Woman 2017 and Wonder Women 1984.

The Con will also feature special interviews with comic Guests, David Pugh, Jo Heeley and Bambos Georgiou.

Tickets cost £3 for the full day and can be purchased via the Capital Sci-Fi Con website here.

Fans can also buy tickets for two separate events being run by CHAS alongside the Con – a Ghostbusters virtual panel talk on Friday 12^th March and a Disney panel talk on Saturday 13^th March.

A number of well-known traders will be featuring their wares via a special pop up virtual shop including Galloway Fudge Company, Nick Harrigan Artwork, Tanya Roberts, Dandy Tiger and Sci Fi Cavaliers. The full list of traders can be viewed here.

Fiona Leslie, Senior Community Fundraiser at CHAS, said: “We are incredibly excited about this year’s Virtual Capital Sci-Fi Con and so privileged and grateful to have so many wonderful stars supporting this amazing event once again.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to the main organiser, Keith Armour and his team of volunteers for making this year’s Con happen despite all the challenges of a global pandemic.

“Keith and his team have raised a phenomenal £312,000 for CHAS since the very first Con in 2016 and I would urge all sci-fi fans out there to get their tickets now for what is sure to be a fantastic, fun event and help support children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland.”

Keith Armour said: “I would like to thank all our volunteers also all our supporters as, without them, we simply wouldn’t be able to raise as much money as we do for CHAS.”

Recent research commissioned by CHAS shows there over 16,700 babies, children and young people in Scotland living with a life-shortening condition.

Throughout the pandemic, the charity has had to dramatically transform the way in which it operates. As well as launching the UK’s first virtual children’s hospice at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis CHAS is continuing to prioritise end-of-life and emergency care in hospice and children’s homes as well as supporting the NHS and Scottish Government.