A Perthshire businesswoman has organised an opera fundraiser in a bid to raise £20,000 for war-torn Ukraine.
Fiona Leslie, who runs Seasyde House – a luxury lodge in Errol – says she wants people from the country “to know that we are still thinking about them”.
It comes after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, a conflict which has seen nearly 10,000 Ukrainians killed and tens of thousands injured and displaced.
Fiona, 57, has spent months organising the event which will take place at Fingask Castle near Rait this Saturday.
More than 100 people will enjoy a performance by improvising opera group Impropera at the grand venue, as well as a dinner and auction.
Money raised will go to the Tayside-based charity Siobhan’s Trust, which is currently focusing its efforts on feeding displaced refugees across Ukraine.
The charity has two food trucks which visit the most deprived areas in the country serving some 5,000 pizzas a day, as well as fruit, chocolates and hot drinks, for free.
A small amount will also go to All Saints Church in Glencarse, which has helped to organise the event.
‘Ukrainians need to know that we are still thinking about them’
Fiona told The Courier: “I feel very strongly that Ukraine needs our support.
“Ukrainians need to know that we are still thinking about them.”
Mum-of-three Fiona said: “Siobhan’s Trust is bringing so much joy to people in Ukraine.
“David Fox-Pitt, who manages the trust, told me that a mother of a child came up to him and said it was the first time their child had smiled in six months when they had seen Siobhan’s Trust out there and they got a pizza and a hot drink and a chocolate bar and piece of fruit.
“They don’t have any money so they can’t afford to buy any of these things.”
Siobhan’s Trust was set up in memory of Fiona’s friend Siobhan Dundee, Countess of Dundee, who died aged 63 in 2019.
It was founded by Siobhan’s husband Alexander after her death.
Fiona said: “Siobhan was the most lovely and caring and giving person.
“It is such a tragedy what happened to her. My partner Richard and I saw her only a few weeks before she died and she was full of life. It was really unexpected.
“It was very sudden and awful.”
Fiona, who also offers wellness treatments from her home, says she is already more than halfway to her fundraising target after an anonymous donation of £10,000.
She says one of regular clients, a Russian woman who lives in Scotland, has also made a donation of £500.
Fiona said: “Clearly not all Russians are pro-Putin. She obviously had a great depth of feeling for what is going on in Ukraine.
“I just thought that was amazing. She is not the only one, there have been many locals and people in Edinburgh who have sent me donations.”
She added that local businesses have also made a series of generous donations for the auction, including gin and artwork.
Tickets are available for £65 each. If you are interested in attending you can get in contact with Fiona here.
People are also welcome to attend a donation-only rehearsal event at All Saints Church in Glencarse on Friday at 4pm.
Conversation