FM Christmas cards raise nearly £170,000

Mairi Hedderwick’s original artwork for last year’s First Minister’s Christmas Card, based on her hugely successful Katie Morag books, went under the hammer at a special auction today.

The artwork was commissioned by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and proceeds of the auction will be split between four charities - Children’s 1^st, Enable Scotland, Books Abroad and the Scottish Refugee Council.

The watercolour, showing Katie Morag greeting children at Bute House, the First Minister’s official residence, was auctioned off for £1,000 by TV antiques expert Anita Manning at Great Western Auctions in Glasgow.

Since 2007, artwork from the First Minister’s official Christmas cards has raised nearly £170,000 for good causes through sales of the original paintings and limited edition prints.

Speaking after the auction, the First Minister said: “I was delighted that Mairi Hedderwick was able to create such a wonderful illustration for last year’s Christmas card.

“Katie Morag’s adventures accompanied by Mairi’s beautiful illustrations are adored by both children and adults right across the world.

“Christmas is a time for spending time with those we love, but it is also a time for thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves.

“There is no doubt that Scotland is a caring and compassionate country and First Ministers’ Christmas cards aim to publicise and support charity projects which do so much in our communities. Mairi generously donated her time and talent to the Christmas card initiative and she should be extremely proud of helping to support these fantastic good causes.”

Background

• 2007: John Lowrie Morrison “Snow Falls on Linlithgow”, Who Cares Scotland 2008: John Bellany “The Homecoming”, Aberdeen Cyrenians, Islamic Relief, SCIAF, RNLI
• •2009: Gerard Burns “A New Journey”, CLIC Sergeant, Glasgow the Caring City, JACK Foundation, Mary’s Meals
• •2010: Jack Vettriano “Lets Twist Again”, Charities: Bethany Christian Trust, Maggies Cancer Caring Centres, Quarriers, Teenage Cancer Trust
• •2011: Alasdair Gray, “Bella Caledonia”, Charities: CHAS, SCIAF, Glenachiulish Preservation Trust, Save Small Tribes Trust
• •2012: Elizabeth Blackadder, “Flowers” Charities: Sick Kids Friends Fund, Dyslexia Scotland, Breakthrough breast Cancer, Scottish Steelworkers Memorial Fund
• •2013: Peter Howson, “Artaban” Charities: SCIAF, CHAS, Combat Stress and CLIC Sargent
• 2014: Phyllis Dodd Design: from the McKenna Christmas Card collection, The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections, Charities: The Mackintosh Appeal, The Catherine McEwan Foundation, Yorkhill Children’s Charity, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance and Legion Scotland
• 2015: Mairi Hedderwick, “Katie Morag”, Charities: Enable Scotland, Children’s 1st, Books Abroad and the Scottish Refugee Council