Around Scotland in 92 days by boat, plane and zimmer frame!
Royal Voluntary Service Scotland is taking on its own baton pass challenge to celebrate the power of volunteering in advance of the Commonwealth Games, with Scots aged from 2 to 103 years old participating in the event.
The baton pass challenge, which will cover 2,500 miles across land and water in 92 days, will involve many of the 7,479 Royal Voluntary Service Scotland volunteers and some of the charity’s service users. At least 30 modes of transport from vintage mini bus and golf trolley to roller blades and zimmer frames will be deployed.
Local Glasgow MP, Ann McKechin, was on hand to launch the event on Tuesday 22 April at Maryhill Burgh Halls, Glasgow. It will began with bagpipes and saw 2 year old Neve Graham begin the Glasgow leg in a toy car, followed by Harry French, 3, in a toy scooter, then Dugie the dog carrying the baton with Caroline Maxwell, 58, Service Manager for Royal Voluntary Service and Ian MacDonald, age 21, on a unicycle.
The whole community with some Royal Voluntary Service volunteers and some of the older people they help will then walk it to Gartnavel Hospital. The baton will make its way around Glasgow throughout the week, travelling in a variety of ways including by convertible and lifeboat, before heading off to its next leg in Moray & Orkney.
Margaret Miller, Royal Voluntary Service volunteer and the oldest volunteer in the UK at 103, will pass the baton on at the end of the Glasgow week. It then travels throughout Scotland for 13 weeks through all 15 Royal Voluntary Service community hubs including Aberdeen, Tayside, Fife, Scottish Borders and Edinburgh, before arriving back in Glasgow on 22nd July just before the start of Commonwealth Games.