Philanthropist gives more to good causes

Kiltwalk-backer Tom Hunter is to increase the bonus he gives to charity from 40% to 50%.

It means every £1 raised becomes £1.50 with every penny going to the charities chosen by the walkers.

In 2019, 1,302 charities received £5 million plus The Hunter Foundation’s £2 million 40% top-up; a total of £7 million raised by 25,417 Kiltwalkers.

Hunter revealed the increased top-up at a special event held in Glasgow to get the 2020 Kiltwalk officially underway.

He said: “Kiltwalk is the lowest cost platform in Scotland for charity fundraisers to walk for what they care about. We hope our 50% top-up will help them along the way.

I’d like to thank each and every person who takes part in our Kiltwalk events. We’ve seen just what impact it can have; from a young walker in Dundee raising £5 for the Sea Cadets to the biggest charities raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. Everyone is making a big difference all over Scotland, so we’ve decided to ‘up the ante’ and boost their fundraising with a 50% top-up.

“Thank you for caring, it’s what Kiltwalk and The Hunter Foundation is all about. Kiltwalkers, you have your marching orders!”

Also inspiring the delegates was Corinne Hutton, a quadruple amputee who was the first Scot to ever undergo a double hand transplant and is the founder of Finding Your Feet, a charity that supports those affected by amputation. Seventy-five walkers took part in last year’s Glasgow Kiltwalk in support of Corinne and raised over £13,000 for the charity in the process. She will be taking on the challenge herself in Glasgow later this year.