THE Stuart Juner Big Heart Foundation got off to a brilliant start last Saturday by raising over £1000 for the cause set up in memory of the former Cowdenbeath Citizen of the Year and community activist who died aged only 48.

The first fundraising event for the Stuart Juner Big Heart Foundation saw £1043 raised on the night at Broad Street Bowling Club, with the evening organised to coincide with Stuart’s birthday. The event was attended by over 100 friends of Stuart and his partner Liz, who said, “We had lots of raffle prizes ranging from two people to be personal guests of Mr Donald Findlay QC, the Cowdenbeath chairman, in the boardroom at a home game next season, to a meal for two at Grosvenor Maybury Casino, a meal for two at Wee Jimmies, a £10 voucher for Robert Bauld the butchers, £50 in vouchers for Tom Courts, a £30 voucher for Unique Beauty, a rug from Kingdom Carpets, a tour for six to Ibrox Stadium, a tour for four to Celtic Park, two tickets for a Hibs game next season, and a child’s away top from Cowdenbeath FC”.

There was a “Guess Where Bluebell (the Cowdenbeath mascot) was born” competition and Bluebell was actually born in Droverhall Place, Crossgates, and this street was picked by Normal Crawford who won a Bluebell the coo. There was also Irish Bingo and Maureen Kennedy collected a bottle of vodka for winning.

Citizen of the year Jimmy Scally was due to attend but unfortunately took unwell. Jimmy was to have judged the winner of the fancy dress competition so a vote was taken by the members of the committee who decided that the best female fancy dress winner was Hilda Ogden (aka Lisa Markham), for a marvellous Hilda Ogden outfit complete with the obligatory fag, baffies and pinny! Best male was Super Mario and it was a big well done to Graeme Soutar, and both won a bottle of spirits.

Liz added that the fundraiser had gone as well as anyone could have expected and added, “A good fun night was had by all with the hits of the 80’s belting out and all the novelty dance songs like the birdie song, superman and the Time Warp, soon got everyone on the dance floor.

“The Foundation is going to run a Macmillan coffee morning in September for the Macmillan Nurses, more details to follow. “The next major fundraiser is going to be a Halloween Party on Friday 31st October in the Broad Street Bowling Club so keep the date free in your diaries as it is sure to be a laugh with all the fun of the halloween games and fancy dress optional, of course”.

The Foundation has been established in Stuart’s memory to back research into heart disorders and also local good causes.