So, to fill the gaping void on the trustee board left by Ally we decided to appoint a new trustee. This gentleman will be already familiar to many of you through his outstanding support of TACC over the years and through his role as an ambassador for the charity.

He has organized and attended away donations for TACC over the years and also carried out some sterling work with his involvement in the Kiltwalk and especially in the conception and organisation of the inaugural Speyside Kiltwalk.

Say hello and welcome to our newest trustee Mr. Jim Hart, we’re over the moon that Jim accepted the trustee role and are glad to welcome him onto the board. Here’s a short bio from Jim in his own words;

"Born and bred on Clydeside, played as a lad in the ruins of the Clydebank blitz. Graduated as a Geologist from Glasgow and spent 3 years on the Zambian Copperbelt. Returned to UK, worked in London with Texaco, with initial focus in the North Sea. Exploration Manager, with responsibilities across Europe, then moved into Business Planning in Aberdeen.

Lifelong Scotland supporter, attending many TACC overseas donations.

Retired and living in Speyside - organised the first Speyside Kiltwalk - member of the Bus Pass Tartan Army.

Married to the lovely June for 43 years, son living in Canada and daughter in Bucks, 3 young grandchildren.

Currently director of tsiMORAY and engaged in a variety of Speyside-based charity projects."

We’ve had a few changes here at the Tartan Army Children's Charity and we thought it was time to let you all know what has been happening with us recently.

First off, Ally Hunter has stepped down as Chairman of TACC and has also resigned from the board of trustees. Ally decided it was time to step down and move on to other charitable work after 6 years on the TACC board. Ally will continue to be a supporter of TACC as he has been since the beginning, in other words (and as he promised us himself) we haven’t quite seen the last of him yet.

Seriously though, we wish Ally all the best for the future wherever it may take him. We’re sad to see him go and thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his hard work, support and guidance over the years. Know that you made a difference big guy.

In the interim, John Deans has taken over the role of Chairman and David Donn the role of secretary.

Some would say that change is inevitable and nothing stays the same forever. We say, what definitely won't change is our commitment to bringing a smile to a child's face and helping disadvantaged children at home in Scotland and away in the countries where Scotland plays.

Edinburgh Night Ride

21 Jun 2014 - 22 Jun 2014

50 miles – one night – see the city in a new light!

Further to the huge success of the first Edinburgh Night Ride in 2013, we are very pleased to announce this unique charity challenge event will be back, bigger and better for 2014!

The sun sets, the city sleeps and hundreds of cyclists will take to the streets to conquer the 50 mile route for charity.

Taking in the iconic sights of this beautiful city – the Royal Mile, the Castle, the Scott Monument – our route includes Arthur’s Seat with stunning night views of the city from the Royal Observatory and past the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace and many more attractions.

This is a rare chance to explore the nooks and crannies of the Scottish capital at a time when much of the traffic has abated – enjoy the merriment of city night life and the tranquillity of the Georgian streets as we pass through in the moonlight.

Jump on your bike and let’s get cycling!

Only 500 places are available in 2014 – places are allocated on a first come, first served basis so register today.

Click here for more information on the event 

Event Registration Fees

Option A - Registration Fee £39 + Min Sponsorship £160

Option B - Registration Fee £39 + Self Funding £60

Payment options explained....

Register Now and raise money for TACC

So its January, its cold, its grey, its raining most of the time, and these are the reasons why I want to do a 24 hour run outside!

So on Saturday the 25th of January I will be celebrating Burns Night by running about (mainly) in  the dark cold to raise awarenss for the Tartan Army Children’s Charity.    I will set off at 9am from Balmullo,  a small village in Fife, around  7 miles from  St Andrews and head east for the Fife Coastal Path.

But I won’t be alone, initially I was going to do this run solo, but after discussing the safety aspects of being out in the dark with no sleep for so long I am very happy to have Chris Turner (@Kwistaffa) join me for this mini adventure from the start. Chris who is no stranger to road cycling, will take on a new adventure of his own, jumping on a mountain bike and (slowly) riding a large section of the trail with me from 9am until about 3 or 4pm. We will follow the coastal trail all the way down to Leven where another great man Alistair Hunter (@allyhunter) will join the support crew. From here the boys will take it in turns cycling with me into the darkness and the small hours of the morning  while the other is enjoying the comfort of a support car.

The plan is to get down to North Queensferry, cross the forth road bridge back towards Edinburgh, get on the canal towpath, run around a lot and await daylight returning before we triumphantly collapse at 9am Sunday morning.

I have no idea what mileage I will cover, the terrain and spending 16-17 hours in the dark will obviously reduce the miles I could run indoors on a treadmill. But it’s not about how many miles will be covered its purely for “fun”.  However this will be the longest I have ran both in terms of mileage and time, previously I have ran 40 and 47 miles so this will be quite a jump in distance.

I have also been running in constant pain for the last 2-3 months and have just been told that my hips are not properly aligned. My silly little left hip is rotated 2-3 millimeters backwards and this is causing problems with the sciatic nerve in my ride side affecting my lower back, hip, upper and lower leg, so again mileage is not the main concern, finishing is.

Should probably have some haggis and a nip en route, it will be Burns Night after all......

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae let the Lord be thankitt

Follow our progress on twitter #24hourhaggirun and on the TACC faceebook page.