Published: Thursday, 7th January, 2010 5:00am

Alan strums up £2k for charity

A MUSICAL county architect has raised more than £2,000 for a breast cancer charity - 10 years after his wife was diagnosed with the killer disease.

Alan McLay, 56, from West Fenton Road, Aberlady, has raised the cash for Breakthrough Breast Cancer by performing a traditional cowboy song and posting it on the internet.

Alan's wife, Sarah, 54, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, and has now, thankfully, fully recovered from her ordeal.

The director of local firm MMA Architects, which has its premises in West Fenton Road, Aberlady, Alan has played the guitar for more than 40 years and decided to record the song, Coyote Cowboy, as a "big thank you" after his wife celebrated the anniversary of her all-clear in late 2009.

Alan initially recorded the obscure acoustic blues number, made a computer audio file and sent it to everyone in his online contacts list. His friends then forwarded the song onto others and the money started to roll in.

Alan, a father-of-two, said: "I've been really surprised by the response I've had to the song. It's an old favourite of mine and I just thought I'd send it out to friends and family and it has just snowballed from there.

"To raise over £2,000 for the charity is just fantastic because the they do a wonderful job. Everyone has been incredibly generous."

Audrey Birt, director for Scotland of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "Raising so much money is a fantastic effort from Alan - as well that he raised it in such an innovative way.

"The money will help continue our life saving work in Scotland and across the UK - including funding the first and only dedicated breast cancer research unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

"Breast cancer affects more than 4,000 people a year in Scotland and we are reliant on people like Alan to make sure more women can survive the disease."

If you would like to donate or listen to the Alan's song, please visit www.justgiving.com/Alan-McLay-.