Scotland's celebrity elite have come together for an inspirational primary school in one Glasgow's most deprived communities.
Sam Heughan, Alan Cumming, Frankie Boyle and Fran Healy are among the big names who have stepped in to lend their support to Garnetbank Primary after a call to arms from Mogwai musician Barry Burns and artist Karla Black.
Staff and pupils at the 115-year-old city centre school face some of the toughest challenges to learning in the city, with a huge number of youngsters living below the poverty line and in temporary accommodation.
READ MORE: Glasgow 'Ghostbusters parade' videos go viral as hundreds join 'brilliant' march
Add to that the 78 nationalities, 37 spoken languages and 78 per cent of kids experiencing English as an additional barrier to learning, the school faces some of the toughest challenges in the city.
But they refuse to let this stand in the way of giving a first class education with a strong rights-respecting ethos, and a commitment to providing a caring and happy environment for every child.
And it is against this backdrop the parent council and staff have joined forces to help struggling pupils.
Emma Ford from the parent council explained: "The additional support that our teachers are supplying to struggling pupils comes at a cost, smaller interventions are no longer enough to ease the strain on staff who are dipping into their own pockets to buy supplies for their classes."
And in response parents, including Barry and Karla, have committed to raising upwards of £10,000 to help buy essential supplies and creative materials.
More than 100 rare and priceless donations have been made from list of Scottish celebrity royalty, including actors, writers, musicians and artists.
They will go up for sale at a silent auction to be held over 48 hours from 6pm on Thursday until 6pm on Saturday, November 10 to 12.
Garnetbank parent and Mogwai musician, Barry explained: "I’ve been on to everyone I know to donate something special to this important cause and they’ve all come through.
"The auction site reads like a who’s who of the country's best creative talent and the memorabilia and prizes available are truly fantastic."
X-Men's Alan Cumming, Outlander's Sam Heughan, Douglas Henshall of Shetland fame, Kate Dickie from Game of Thrones, comics Frankie Boyle and Paul Black have donated auction items alongside the likes of Fran Healy, Paul Buchanan, Lloyd Cole and artist Jim Lambie.
Alan said: "I’ve always believed that education is power. But it should also be compassion. And Garnetbank Primary’s example of helping those in need in their neighbourhood is a great message to send to its pupils and the community in general.
"Sadly, of course, their resources have been depleted as a result of that vital aid, so I’m helping out to help them continue being able to help others."
Brian McGeoch, Tony Swain and France-Lise McGurn and authors John Niven, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Ewan Morrison and Harriet Tyce are also among those to have offered up an item for auction.
Artist and Garnetbank mum Karla Black pointed out: "Garnetbank Primary is a truly special place with a rich and diverse pupil and staff population, an excellent approach to learning and a culture of respect and care for our children.
"The work the educators do there, despite the challenges they face is simply phenomenal and I’ll do whatever I can to help."
Auction items include various tickets, restaurant, beauty, retail and hotel vouchers, artworks, rare memorabilia, books, scripts, albums, experience bundles, personalised cameo videos and range from as little as £10.
You can view the growing list of impressive prizes by visiting the online auction site here, but will only have 48 hours to place bids when it goes live.
READ NEXT:
Glasgow to be battered by rain and wind as Storm Claudio arrives in Scotland
ScotRail cancels Glasgow trains due to fault on major line caused by fire
Drink drive Paisley mum behind wheel of BMW in 'stupid' late night dash to sick toddler
Glasgow family serenaded by Robbie Williams as mum gets 'Norma's the One' dedicated to her
Warning issued to Scottish holidaymakers travelling to EU countries in 2023
