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Inspiring fashion shows have raised £360,000 for a north-east cancer charity.
Models from across Aberdeenshire, Moray, Aberdeen and Orkney took part in this year’s Brave and Courage on the Catwalk shows for Friends of ANCHOR, which were held at P&J Live for the first time.
The move from the Beach Ballroom allowed for a bigger audience, with a total of 3187 people attending the four shows.
And despite the bumper audiences, the models put their nerves aside and threw themselves into the shows – strutting, dancing and even cartwheeling down the catwalk.
Each model had a story to tell, each having been through a cancer or haematology diagnosis – with some still going through treatment.
For the last three months, the men and women have had six rehearsals with professional choreography, as well as an icebreaker dinner, a pamper night and social meets.
As well as finessing their moves, the Brave and Courage models have formed strong friendships – which were clear to see on the stage as they hugged and cheered each other on.
For Vivienne McHardy, hitting the catwalk was a huge step out of her comfort zone.
The 77-year-old, from Stonehaven, only told her close family when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but now she is clear of treatment and wanted to give back.
Vivienne, who wants to thank children Grant and Beverley and twin sister Valerie for their support, said: “What the ANCHOR Unit did for me when I was going through treatment is something I’ll never forget – the kindness, empathy and warmth that I received gave me that extra boost.
“Taking part in Courage has been amazing, I’ve met so many wonderful, brave and courageous women – we’ll be friends for life.
“We’re all different ages, but we’ve all brought something to the table with different qualities which just help the group grow. It’s amazing.
“The experience of going out onto the catwalk was just so emotional but everyone in the room is cheering you on and I know that every penny is going to the place that helped me. You can never give enough.”
Moira Stewart said the opportunity to take part in Courage came at just the right time.
Her husband died at the start of the year, and the 75-year-old, from Aberdeen, said having the rehearsals has been the distraction she needed.
The former Ferryhill Primary School teacher – who rocked a pair of silver cowboy boots with each outfit – said: “Courage on the Catwalk and the friendships that have come from it have helped me get through what could have been a very dark and difficult time.
“Just the timing of it all was perfect, and it’s been a wonderful experience.”
Donald Ross, from Longside, was one of the Brave models to take to the stage on Thursday and Friday and described it as “unbelievable”.
The 49-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma last May, and underwent chemotherapy.
Reflecting on a rollercoaster year, Donald said he could never have imagined it would have led him to step on a catwalk in front of hundreds of people.
The managing director of Cockayne said: “When I signed up for Brave, I don’t think I really knew what I was walking into and through the process there was a couple of times I didn’t know if I had done the right thing.
“Giving presentations to hundreds of people is one thing and I’m quite comfortable doing that, but walking out and dad dancing in front of 800 people is a different ball game.
“I struggled at the first couple of rehearsals and then realised I just had to go for it, it’s a privilege to be up there. And stepping out onto that stage and seeing my family and friends in the crowd was unbelievable – I loved it.
“I would never have thought my diagnosis would have taken me here. I never thought I’d get so much laughter, fun and love from something that started off as the worst day of my life.”
Outfits included casual dresses, jumpsuits and wedding outfits for the ladies, from the likes of M&S, Phase 8, Tiger Lily and Perfect Bridal.
M&S Slaters, Georgian Dress Hire, Neil Selbie and Mitchell Scott ensured the men were dressed to impress.
Sarah-Jane Hogg, chief executive of the charity, said: “We’re absolutely blown away by the support all our models have received since being selected for our 2024 line-ups.
“Moving to P&J Live has allowed us to welcome more of their friends and family into the shows to cheer them on and the love that was felt in the room over the four shows is just indescribable.
“A huge thank you to all of our models for giving it their all in rehearsals, getting creative with their fundraising and of course, taking to the catwalk, to raise such a fantastic amount.
“Every single penny raised over the course of the four shows will positively impact the lives of those facing a diagnosis, thanks to our line-up of phenomenally supportive event sponsors.”