Families in Fife whose lives are impacted by Huntington’s disease are re- opening their pop-up shop later this month to raise vital funds.
The shop is run by volunteers, carers and Scottish Huntington’s Association HD Specialist Jillian Foster, who is now appealing for donations of bric-a-brac, household goods and tombola prizes.
“We take everything and anything that fits into a car,” said Jillian. “Donations can be dropped off at the shop on the day before open or people can give us a call on 01592 647993 to arrange for items to be picked up.
“We have lots of family members volunteering in the shop and it’s a great way to reach people who might otherwise never know there are people living in their own communities who are impacted by Huntington’s disease.
“Shoppers come in looking for a bargain and they leave knowing about Huntington’s disease, who we are raising money for, and why it’s so important.”
Huntington’s disease causes severe physical, mental and cognitive symptoms. As these progress, people can lose ability to walk, talk or eat. They may also develop a type of dementia and changes in their thinking processes, and serious mental illness including mood swings, depression or psychosis.
To compound the dreadful toll of the disease still further, each child of a person with Huntington’s disease is at 50/50 risk of having inherited the faulty gene too, meaning they will also develop symptoms at some stage.
Scottish Huntington’s Association is the only charity in Scotland dedicated exclusively to ensuring that people with Huntington’s disease and their loved ones, including children and young people, have access to the specialist support they need.
It does this through a nationwide network of HD Specialists, youth advisors and a Financial Wellbeing Service. The charity’s Family Branches, including the one in Fife, play a vital role in the work of the charity by providing local peer support and opportunities to connect with other families, in addition to fundraising and increasing awareness about the disease.
“We raised around £1500 the last time we opened the shop in November, which goes a long way towards lifeline Scottish Huntington’s Association services and supporting local activities for families through Fife Family Branch,” said Jillian.
The pop-up shop will be open in Wellesley Road, Methil, from Saturday, 18 June to Friday, 24 June.