Teenage Cancer Trust: Gordon the Piper's Helix challenge to raise funds for charity

Piper Gordon Fisher is on a fundraising mission for the Teenage Cancer Trust and plans to walk round the park playing the pipes 100 times.

The charity is one close to his heart and that of his family as it provided support to them when stepson Scott Davidson was being treated for cancer.

Sadly, after being in remission, Scott died from Rhabdomyosarcoma on April 30, 2010, aged only 22.

Gordon, 60, has recently retired from a lifetime in the social care profession and decided the time was right to set himself this fundraising challenge.

He said: “I took up the pipes when I was about ten years old and living in Jedburgh, joining a band a year later.

"For many years I played with the Royal British Legion band and for the last 13or 14 years I played with the Alloa Bomar Pipe Band. But I’ve also play as a solo piper at weddings and corporate events and have my own Gordon the Piper website.

"I’ve just retired from my day job and thought this was a good time to pick up this challenge. My partner Shirley and her family have done fundraising previously for the Teenage Cancer Trust and I thought that I would like to do this.”

Gordon will walk from the Falkirk Stadium car park round the Helix playing his bagpipes the entire time. He says the 2.5 mile route takes him around an hour to complete. During that time he will play about 18 or 19 different sets of tunes, each made up of several pieces.

He’s already completed 21 laps of the park and the fundraising on his JustGiving page has reached £645.

The reaction from people he meets on his journey round the Helix has been very warm.

“It’s been very nice and I’ve had a great response from locals and tourists. People are asking what I’m doing and I’ve got all the JustGiving details on the back of my t-shirt.

"It’s very heartening to see posts on the page from people who have seen me and made a donation.”

Before he started his challenge, Gordon, who lives in Falkirk’s Lionthorn Estate, checked with bosses at the Helix Park if it was okay for him to be a regular visitor and fundraiser.

"They were very supportive,” he added, “I just ensure that I’m not playing when the Kelpies Tours are on so I’m usually there first thing in the morning, at lunchtime or in the evening. I can’t believe that’s over 20 times completed already.”

Scott, a former pupil of Falkirk High School, was 19 when his cancer, which sees tumours grow in soft tissue, was first was diagnosed. He had previously worked at the Child Support Agency and latterly before he became too unwell, worked in Falkirk Council’s call centre.

"He had a great bunch of friends who were very supportive of him throughout his treatment and spells in hospital,” added Gordon. “But it’s also lovely that 14 years after his death they still keep in touch with his mum and we’ve been invited to their weddings. That’s really quite special.”