Butterfly Skin charity DEBRA launches summer campaign asking Scots to sign up for a challenge
Butterfly Skin charity DEBRA is launching a summer campaign with the Daily Record asking you to sign up for a challenge and Join Team EB – and it's open to everyone.
Celebs, businesses, schools and everyday people are all joining in and challenges can be anything you want, from running to doing some extra daily steps, or something crazy.
A team from an Indian restaurant in Glasgow are making sure it gets off to a flyer by launching themselves out of a plane tomorrow.
DEBRA vice-president Graeme Souness swam the Channel last week as part of a team and other celebs are jumping on board too, such as DEBRA ambassadors Scott Brown and TV sport presenter Emma Dodds.
But Emma says it's not about the stars – this is about everyday people helping improve lives while taking on healthy fun challenges.
Emma said: 'I think giving people the chance to join Team EB is a really good idea, to increase awareness and find out more about the charity – but it also lets people get involved.
'I love that the challenge doesn't need to be really hardcore – it can be dog walking, doing some extra steps on your watch every day, whatever it is you feel you'd like to challenge yourself to do.
'It gets the message of DEBRA and what we are working to achieve out and helps bring in more people to really be part of it all.
'A few of us have been talking behind the scenes about challenge ideas and there are great ones, from doing an extra few thousand steps to three rounds of golf in a day. Others are doing skydives, running marathons and, of course, Graeme swam the Channel there and back.
'But this whole campaign is about showing it doesn't have to be a huge impossible task – whatever challenge you feel comfortable trying for DEBRA, that's what you do.
'It's more about being part of something and really getting behind the amazing work DEBRA does.'
Emma is blown away by the team from Glasgow restaurant The Malletsheugh deciding to jump out of a plane to give the campaign the perfect launch platform.
She said: 'I love the skydive idea. It's amazing the guys are doing this for DEBRA, it's so admirable.
'Jumping out of a plane is something not a lot of people would want to do, fair play to them to help us kick this off big-style.
'They have set a high bar for us to all follow, they have set the tone in some style.
'I think it will inspire a lot of people.'
The team from The Malletsheugh are thrilled to be the first to sign up to Join Team EB – and their challenge is a special way to get the summer campaign off the ground.
Aman Birk 30, Bobby Birk, 29, Humza Qadri, 24, Gurbachan Singh, 42, Rhys Hamilton, 18, Arpan Lama, 25, and Sabi Singh, 30, wanted to do something special to show their appreciation for the incredible support they have had since opening 18 months ago, winning multiple awards and running community events like a silent fireworks display while supporting local charities.
When team leader Bobby heard about the summer of challenges go Join Team EB for DEBRA, he jumped at the chance to sign up – even though he's terrified of heights.
Bobby said: 'This is pretty out there for me as I've always had a real thing about heights but when we heard about this challenge through friends who help out at DEBRA, it was something we wanted to support and try to help bring attention to the agony EB patients have to live with.
'It puts our own things into perspective – we all have difficulties in life but it really does bring it home how lucky most of us are when you see the constant pain and struggle of EB.
'I knew nothing about DEBRA or EB until I saw Graeme on TV talking about it and it hit home – I spoke to my family and to our team at the restaurant and we felt we should do something to help spread the word.
'A few people said they would love to do a skydive but were scared to take the plunge and it just felt right, so we signed up and we're jumping out of a plane Sunday, May 11.
'I really am scared of heights, so I don't know how I will feel hanging out of the open door, up in the air. If I have to be thrown out, I'll do it – it's nothing compared to the things EB patients face every minute of every day.
'We have put up a fundraising page and everything goes to this appeal, so please help if you can – and why not take on a challenge of your own?
'It's all about spreading the word and helping this brilliant charity.'
If you want to Join Team EB, go to www.debra.org.uk/debra-scotland/join-team-eb/.
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