LANARKSHIRE solicitor’s daughter, Diana McLeish, has organised her first major, star-studded fund-raising event in aid of Crohn’s and Colitis – and raised an astonishing £100,000.
Diana, whose father, Nick Scullion, owns Scullion Law in Hamilton and comes originally from Dumbarton, raised the money at an exclusive night of fundraising and entertainment at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United FC.
Formerly a marketing executive with a top London firm of solicitors, Diana, is married to Jon McLeish, son of Alex McLeish, the former Aberdeen and Scotland footballer.
Alex McLeish managed Rangers FC before going on to take charge of several Premier League clubs in England.
Diana married Jon, a football agent who suffers from colitis, at St Salvator’s Church in St Andrews in Fife two years ago and went on to work full-time for United for Colitis, which raises funds for research.
Diana said: “Crohn’s and Colitis UK would like to say a huge thank you and congratulations to everybody involved with United for Colitis for an amazing night’s entertainment which raised a staggering £100,000 for our charity.”
The Scotland player, Darren Fletcher, and some of his Manchester United teammates, including Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, were at the sporting dinner.
As was former England rugby captain, Lewis Moody; legendary former United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson; and pop singer songwriter, Olly Murs; who did some of the entertaining.
Neil Lennon of Celtic FC and former Rangers FC and Scotland manager, Walter Smith, were also present at the celebrity event.
Both Darren Fletcher and Lewis Moody are colitis sufferers and Fletcher has had a particularly difficult time having had to take time off from his playing career to receive medical treatment.
The black-tie event brought sports people together to increase awareness of the disease and raise money for research into finding a cure for inflammatory bowel disease.
Jon McLeish has suffered with Ulcerative Colitis since 2007 and continues to work as an agent from his couple’s London home.
Diana McLeish is a former pupil of St Aloysius College in Glasgow and a graduate of St Andrews University.
She formerly lived in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, and worked for Scullion Law, the family business with her parents, Nicholas and Dorothy.
Her brothers, Nicholas and Nigel, are solicitors in Hamilton and Glasgow and she has another younger brother, Rodger, and a sister, Marisa, who works in London.
David Barker, chief executive of Crohn’s and Colitis UK, said: “The United for Colitis event was absolutely tremendous helping us to raise desperately needed awareness and funds – a win, win activity.
“Our enormous thanks to Jon and Diana McLeish, Darren Fletcher, Lewis Moody and to everyone else who made the event such a success.
“We are lucky to have such a dedicated team working alongside us to support people with Crohn’s and Colitis.”
If you want to donate, click http://www.justgiving.com/crohnsandcolitisuk/Donate
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