A COCKENZIE and Port Seton youngster has raised almost £3,400 for the Walk With Scott Foundation by completing a gruelling six-hour TikTok dance marathon.

The social network platform, on which users post short dance, lip-syncing, comedy or talent videos, has become one of the main ways people have been keeping themselves entertained during lockdown.

But Mary Kidd, nine, a primary five pupil at Cockenzie Primary School, took it one step further with her marathon challenge, completed on VE Day (May 8) outside her home on East Lorimer Place.

From 11.05am to 5.09pm, with extra time for toilet breaks and outfit changes, Mary performed for TikTok.

She set a target of £100 but has so far raised nearly £3,400 for the Walk With Scott Foundation, of which her mum Karen is a board member.

During the challenge, Mary completed several dances, with the last hour overlapping with a local VE Day street party.

Karen and some of the neighbours also joined in, adhering to social distancing rules.

The idea stemmed from another project Mary was doing for her neighbours at the time.

While on her daily walk, Mary noticed some were not displaying rainbows in their windows, a nationwide symbol that aims to spread positivity during the coronavirus pandemic. She then made rainbows for these neighbours.

Karen said: “A neighbour offered us some money for one, which wasn’t our main intention for doing it.

“Mary then said that because there isn’t a Walk With Scott Foundation walk this year – she usually does it and joins in on the last four or five miles – and not getting any sponsorship, we could do something else to raise money for the foundation.

“I asked her what she wanted to do and she said TikTok. She wanted to do 12 hours at first but we decided on six.”

The reaction from the community has been overwhelming, according to Karen.

She said: “We thought we’d start small at first and then it just went crazy. Radio Saltire even picked it up and were promoting it.

“People were walking past and putting money in the jar, the neighbours all loved it.

“I’m absolutely delighted and so proud of her.

“I’m totally blown away by people’s generosity.

“I know how much this money means to the charity and how much it will help others in our communities.”

The Walk With Scott Foundation was set up by the late Scott Glynn on his 50th birthday, starting as a challenge to walk to all the rugby clubs in East Lothian.

To date, the foundation has raised and donated more than £250,000 to local causes throughout the county.