This group of Liverpool-based Scots are holding a kilt walk this weekend to raise money for charity

A group of Liverpool based Scots are holding a kilt walk in Liverpool tomorrow (Saturday) to raise funds for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and motor neurone disease research.

The Merseyside Tartan Army have arranged the walk as part of a double fundraising effort for the charities, with a night of music and entertainment also planned for June.

The Scots will be walking from Alder Hey to Goodison Park in full Scottish regalia in time for Everton’s clash with Burnley. 

The Tartan Army are known all over the world not only for their good-natured following of the Scottish football team, but also their fundraising efforts, and the Merseyside branch are keen to continue that tradition.

They wanted to show their support for a local charity in Alder Hey but also have a very personal reason for fundraising for My Name’5 Doddie, the motor neurone disease fund set up in memory of Doddie Weir, the late Scotland rugby player who was a trailblazer in MND awareness before his death in 2022 as a result of the disease.

Founder member Stephen Anderson, who lives in Rainhill but is originally from Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, lost his friend and fellow Tartan Army member Jim Hughes to MND just nine months after he was diagnosed with the disease of the nervous system.

Stephen and Jim were in Moldova to watch Scotland when Jim first started showing the signs of the disease which tragically caused his death.

Stephen said: “Gradually over a period of time, he got worse and worse and nine months later he was very sadly no longer with us. At the moment, there is no cure but hopefully with continued support and money raised for the charity to fund research a cure will be found and that is why it is so important to keep fundraising and making people aware of MND. 

“The charity also supports the families of people with MND and that is crucially important as well.”

The My Name’5 Doddie foundation is committed to helping improve the lives of those affected by motor neurone disease, funding grants for individuals living with MND. They also invest in cutting edge transitional research, partnering with leading minds to influence research and involving those affected by MND in everything they do. Their vision is a world free of MND. The disease is very rare but gradually gets worse over time, giving sufferers difficulties in moving, swallowing, breathing and eventually leads to death. It is also very difficult for the loved ones of MND sufferers, and the foundation offers support for them too.

The walkers will gather at Alder Hey tomorrow morning at 9.45am to meet staff and local MP Ian Byrne before setting off in their kilts with collecting buckets for Goodison Park. 

They will stop off at Anfield to lay a wreath and pay their respects at the Hillsborough Memorial in advance of the anniversary of the tragedy on 15^th April and will then continue to Goodison where they will speak to supporters in the Fanzone about their fundraising before the Evertonians in the group watch the match and the rest of the group make their way back into the city centre.

They are keen to continue the tradition of fundraising kilt walks which have become a feature of the Tartan Army both around the world at international football matches and during fundraising efforts in Scotland.

Stephen and fellow Scot Lewis Macdonald have both spent more than 20 years each in Merseyside after marriage brought them to the area. However, one of them won’t be in his kilt tomorrow unfortunately.

Lewis, who is from Renfrewshire but now lives in Eastham, Wirral, laughed: “I am actually a little bit too big for my kilt at the moment! I am on a campaign to fit back into it before Euro 2024 in Germany in June, where Scotland play the hosts in the opening game.”

Stephen will be wearing the Pride of Scotland tartan and other members of the group will be donning kilts in a variety of tartans for the occasion, so they will be easy to spot on the route from Alder Hey to Goodison.

They hope the sight will bring a smile to the faces of football fans and passers by who will be inspired to donate for the charities involved and start a new annual tradition for Liverpool.

Tomorrow’s walk will be followed up by an event at Wilton’s Lounge in Cain’s Brewery Village on 1^st June at 7pm featuring the Liverpool Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums as well as musicians Ted Christopher and Calum Gilligan. You can get tickets from Stephen by calling 0779 2926365.

The group have already raised more than £2,000 for the two charities. If you would like to donate you can do so via the link here.