SEVEN family members – aged seven to 61 – are raising money in memory of a much-missed Haddington church minister.

The family of the Rev Jennifer Macrae are taking on a series of running challenges across Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout the summer to collect funds for Edinburgh Maggie’s Centre.

The 63-year-old passed away on March 2, having been minister at St Mary’s Parish Church for more than a decade.

Now her sister Susan Gibson, along with daughters Laura Burgess and Elaine Macrae, will be joined by nieces Clare Furze and Kara Wallace and granddaughters Ciara Burgess and Isla Burgess in the running-themed fundraisers.

Susan said: “I’m the runner in the family and I have always done a fundraising event every year.

“Jennifer was a great supporter, she was not a runner herself but she would tease me about the time I had done at the event.

“She was a huge supporter and always contributed generously to what I was running for.

“After she had the terminal diagnosis, one thing we talked about was that I would organise some kind of running thing for the family.

“It was her choice to go with Edinburgh Maggie’s Centre because she had such amazing support there.”

The charity, which has been based in Edinburgh since 1996, offers support to people with cancer and their family and friends.

The centres offer not only practical advice about benefits and eating well but qualified experts provide emotional support and the centres offer a chance to meet people or simply sit quietly with a cup of tea.

Team Jenny, which includes seven-year-old Isla, will in varying combinations be clocking up nearly 200 kilometres of timed runs throughout the summer.

Originally, the plan was for the seven family members to take part together in the same event.

However, with the family spread out in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Coleraine, it proved impossible.

Instead they are taking on half a dozen different events before combining both the distance and fundraising totals together.

Elaine, 32, has already completed the Baker Hughes 10k in Aberdeen, while Kara, 28, and her husband, Duncan, will be joined by Clare, 32, Elaine and Susan at the Run the Blades event at Whitelee Wind Farm, near Eaglesham, this month.

Meanwhile in Portrush, Northern Ireland, Susan will join Laura, 36, together with her daughters Ciara, 13, and Isla, at the Portrush Park Run.

Clare, Elaine, Kara and Susan will all take part in the Great Aberdeen Run 10k next month before Susan’s attention turns to the Scottish 10k, which starts and finishes at Musselburgh Racecourse in September.

Finally, Elaine and Susan will take on the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon in Glasgow, with Laura’s husband Barry competing in the Belfast City Half Marathon in September.

The family set an initial fundraising target of £1,000 before increasing that to £3,000 but both have already been smashed, with nearly £5,000 already raised.

Susan said: “It is amazing.

“People are just so incredibly generous and I think that is a measure of Jennifer and Maggie’s and the affection and respect people have for Maggie’s.

“We are very fortunate it is a very close family.

“Jennifer was very caring, had a great sense of humour and she was honest.

“You could always depend on her – it might not be what you wanted to hear but what you needed to hear.

“She had that ability to be completely honest without ever being harsh or unkind.

“She was incredibly supportive of the family and everybody in it.”

To make a donation, go to justgiving.com/2018teamjenny

There is also a sponsor sheet at the back of the Haddington church.