CHARTERED surveyors Edwin Thompson held a charity auction at Border Union Show, after local artist Denise Playfair painted on its stand throughout the two days of the event.

The resulting fantastic pastel drawing of a Jersey Cow was auctioned with the proceeds donated to the Royal Highland Education Trust's Scottish Borders branch. The firm also had collection tins for RHET on its stands at both Border Union and Berwickshire Shows. All the money raised will be used locally to continue RHET’s work.

In the school year to July 2019, RHET Scottish Borders had 2359 school pupils out on farms and talked to a further 3369 pupils in school. The charity works with all ages of pupils from three-year-olds in early settings, to pupils in primary and secondary schools.

At the Border Union show, RHET also had a stand with a focus on dairy farming. Everyone who visited the stand used pedal power to create a delicious smoothie, with all the fruit and milk donated by Sainsburys Kelso and Border Berries. Blossom, the charity's fibreglass milking cow, was also milked all day by a lot of enthusiastic children.

Now the new academic year has begun, RHET is keen to continue its work in schools across the Borders, and is encouraging people to get in touch if they think their school would benefit from a visit – contact rhetsbcimarianne@gmail.com.