CHRISTMAS cheer is coming early to a veterinary practice in Tranent to raise funds for a good cause.

Dunedin Vets is hosting a Christmas Craft Fayre next Sunday (November 7), 10am-4pm in the car park of its main practice in Tranent.

Home-made Christmas decorations, baubles, gift ideas for people and pets, as well as Christmas cakes and bags of food for Santa’s reindeers will be on offer.

A raffle and tombola to raise money for Pets As Therapy (PAT) – a charity that helps to enhance the health and wellbeing of people in communities all over the UK through the visit of trusted volunteers and pets to hospitals, hospices, special needs schools and nursing and care homes – will also take place.

Money raised supports PAT to recruit more volunteers, register them and set them up with an establishment on the charity’s waiting list.

Margot Hunter, Dunedin Vets clinical director, organised the event with senior receptionist Anna Willox and practice manager Fiona McLaren.

Margot’s love of crafting started when she was undergoing chemotherapy 10 years ago following breast cancer.

She said: “Fiona is a baker and has made loads of delicious Christmas biscuits.

“Anna has made all sorts, from gnomes to reindeer food. They have made huge hampers to win in the tombola, one for cats, one dogs and one human.

“I’ve made snowmen sweetie jars, light-up wine bottles and lots of assorted knitted gifts. I have always knitted but took it up seriously again when undergoing chemotherapy. I’ve just carried on making things and, apart from last year, I sell my wares at craft fairs for various charities.

“The three of us were chatting and decided we could arrange a Christmas fayre at the surgery for Pets as Therapy, as we hadn’t raised much throughout the year due to Covid, and the idea took off. We are really looking forward to the event and are working hard to get everything organised. We’ve managed to get an outdoor music licence and borrowed lots of gazebos so here’s hoping for good weather.”