Pleasance support for Waverley Care goes digital

Pleasance have supported Edinburgh charity, Waverley Care, since 1992. Now you can use technology to help them get through a big target of £500,000 in fundraising.

At the Pleasance Courtyard you will be able to donate to the charity partner using a contactless device. Throughout August, people will be able to tap to donate £3, £5 or £10 on the device, nicknamed Hamish, alongside traditional bucket collections.

Waverley Care works is Scotland’s HIV and hepatitis C charity.

L-R Waverley Care Fringe Coordinator, Rohanie Campbell-Thakoordin, Pleasance Director, Anthony Alderson, and volunteer, Jessica Matthews unveil ‘Hamish’ the contactless donation device, at the Pleasance Courtyard.

To date with donations and fundraising shows the relationship has raised £475,000 to support Waverley Care’s work – supporting people living with or affected by HIV and hepatitis C, and working with communities to prevent new infections.

The partners hope that with the help of Hamish, they will smash the £500,000 mark in 2018.

Waverley Care’s Senior Fundraiser, Karen Docwra said: “Spending the Fringe at the Pleasance is one of the highlights of our fundraising year and we’re really excited to have Hamish as part of the team as we go for the £500,000 mark.

“We’re always looking at ways to make it as easy as possible for people to support our work and feel that contactless will become more and more important in the years ahead.

“We’re dipping our toe in the water a bit this year, and have already had interest from other charities who want to know how it goes. Hopefully, the mix of convenience and curiosity will see lots of people tapping to donate alongside money in the buckets.

“The money raised at the Pleasance each year makes a huge difference to our work, so if you find yourself in the Courtyard, or at the EICC this August, be sure to say hello to our volunteers and make a donation if you can.”

Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance, tested the new technology, becoming the first person to make a contactless donation to Waverley Care. He added: “We’re all really used to contactless in shops but it still feels like an incredibly novel way to donate to charity.

“It’s fantastic to see Waverley Care bringing the technology to the Pleasance and I’m sure the response from audiences will be fantastic.

“We really hope this year will see us break through the £500,000 mark – another amazing milestone in our long history together.”