IT’S been Sean Martin’s talisman for 30 years – and yesterday, he gave his Skye quartz to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the opening of a charity garden.
Martin, 56, was himself given the mineral by a construction worker during the first day of drilling work for the Skye bridge. It was his first day on the island and the worker said: “This’ll bring you luck.”
Yesterday he chatted with Sturgeon at the opening of Epilepsy Scotland’s new SPIFOX Wellbeing Garden, where he handed over the charm.
Complete with pizza oven, greenhouses and workshop space, the multi-use garden at the charity’s Glasgow offices will be, leaders say, “a space for parents to catch a minute to themselves, a place to display artwork and celebrate the creativity of the people in our community, a safe space for our youth groups to explore new hobbies or learn new skills”.
It’s been partly funded by donations made in the memory of Eloise Morris, who was just 21 and in her final year of her accounting studies at Dundee University when she lost her life to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (Sudep) in December.
It’s also been supported by SPIFOX – the Scottish Property Industry Festival of Christmas – which has donated around £5.1 million to charity since 1983.
Lesslie Young, chief executive of Epilepsy Scotland, said she was “delighted” to welcome the First Minister, adding: “The creation of this inviting, stimulating outside space will play a huge part in enhancing the service Epilepsy Scotland can provide to young people, children and families of people with epilepsy as well as the wider community.
“The garden will be a tranquil space for some, a stimulating space for others and open up possibilities for a wide range of activities.”
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