Sky's the limit for Scottish Gas boss in Fife charity fundraiser

After a 14-month delay as a result of the pandemic, David Robertson, head of field transformation at Scottish Gas, finally took a leap from a plane at Fife Airport in Glenrothes recently to raise vital funds for CHAS.

David was joined by Chris O’Shea, CEO of Scottish Gas’ parent company Centrica, for a tandem jump from 10,000ft courtesy of Skydive St Andrews.

It was part of a unique collaboration between the energy services provider and Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) which launched at the start of last year. The 1000 strong team has so far raised more than £30k for CHAS through a number of in-person and virtual events.

The business donated PPE to CHAS care staff when supplies were scarce at the start of the pandemic and engineers have rallied together on a number of occasions to deliver food and activity packs to shielding families all over the country.

David, who lives in East Wemyss with his wife and two children, revealed the feat proved to be remarkable given the fact that he has a fear of heights.

He said: “The team at CHAS asked me to get involved in the skydive, and I couldn't refuse, albeit I have a fear of heights, so this was a real challenge for me.

"I couldn't think of a better charity to support, and I've enjoyed getting my family involved in raising money for this event. I'm also delighted that colleagues at Scottish Gas have fully supported CHAS over the past two years in challenging circumstances - we're all proud to be part such a great cause.”

Chris, who was born and raised in Glenrothes, added: “At Scottish Gas, we have a long-standing relationship with CHAS and are proud to support the excellent work they do to help families when it matters most. As well as raising money for this fantastic cause, being able to do a skydive over Glenrothes, where I lived until I was 11, was a real treat.”

In addition to future fundraising events planned for the months ahead, the team will soon be offering their gas and energy services to CHAS families and volunteering their time to carry out this work. Centrica wants to inspire staff to volunteer a total of 100,000 days by 2030 and this partnership will be a key part in doing so, providing a variety of year-round opportunities to make a positive impact in their local communities.

Megan Stobo, senior corporate partnerships executive at CHAS, said: “The support that the Scottish Gas team have shown to CHAS over the past year and a half has been outstanding and despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic, the collaboration is going from strength to strength.

“Employees across the region are incredibly passionate about our work and are committed to helping CHAS reach even more families. We have exciting plans for the future so watch this space!”

The Scottish Gas fundraising page can be found here: Scottish Gas just giving team

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