Ark fundraisers hope to coin it in

Aug 1 2008

IT will take 71,500 coins and more than 100 volunteers.

But organisers of Ayr’s most audacious fundraiser can’t wait to get started.

Youth nightclub, The Ark, will lay a mile’s worth of two pence pieces side by side during their wacky stunt.

And their bid, to raise funds for the club, will snake through one of the town’s most historic sights.

Centre manager, James Faddes, explained: “The idea came from a member of staff and took off from there.

“It’s going to need a lot of volunteers to pull it off because the value of all those coins is just under £1500.

“The route goes along the Lang Scots Mile which starts just outside the Ark at Miller’s Folly and ends up at Blackburn cark park.”

The Lang Scots Mile Walk was created in 2002 on the seafront of Ayr to commemorate the town’s historical links with Burns as well as to encourage healthy exercise.

The route is also renowned for being perfectly flat all the way.

Organisers reckon the bid, which takes place on Saturday, August 16, is expected to last around two hours.

Members of the public can donate cash to the cause – and it doesn’t even have to be in the form of 2p pieces.

James, 34, revealed: “We’ve struck a deal to get money changed for us, people can bring alone notes and we’ll transfer that to coins.

“I don’t think this has ever been done in Ayr before, and it will go down in history as the craziest funds and awareness raiser in The Ark’s history so far.

And, hopefully if the weatherman is kind to us on the day, this could be a fantastic and fun day for the whole family.

“My three daughters might get a tad fed up after one hour, and they seem to prefer picking money up rather than laying it down.ŠBut we’re still willing to give it a go.”