More than 550 people from the retailing and wholesaling sectors attended last month’s spectacular Checkout Scotland music festival as the charity event continues to go from strength to strength.
By Antony Begley
As industry events go, it’s probably no exaggeration to say that last month’s Checkout Scotland at BAaD in Glasgow is right up there with the best in the calendar. A record audience of more than 550 people attended the fourth running of GroceryAid Scotland’s flagship annual event and feedback makes it clear that a jolly good time was had by all.
Australian pop star and TV sensation Peter Andre drove the audience ‘Insania’ with a blend of pop, reggae and R&B from the main stage and was clearly a highlight of the evening for many, closing a high-energy set with his biggest hit, Mysterious Girl.
Headline act Callum Beattie then took to the stage to blast out a mix of his chart-topping hits and crowd-pleasing cover versions. These included the James classic Sit Down (everyone did) and an emotional rendition of Dougie MacLean’s iconic Caledonia to round off his set.
In between times, George Bowie hit the decks and had the room bouncing off the walls while DJ Naeem closed the evening with his unique mashup of beats and Bhangra, complete with live drummers.
And even before all of that, attendees had the chance to chill out in the outdoor courtyard, listen to DJs, sample products from sponsors, get themselves decked out in Buckfast hats and Four Loko Hawaiian shirts, and catch up with old friends while making some new ones too.
Created principally to help raise awareness of the GroceryAid charity in Scotland, Checkout Scotland is now in its fourth year and provides the perfect platform to make more people than ever aware of the financial, emotional and practical support that GroceryAid can provide to industry colleagues in need of a little help.
Growing awareness
There’s no question that Checkout Scotland has been pivotal in increasing awareness of GroceryAid up here and that can only be a good thing with the retail environment tougher than ever in so many ways. Demand for GroceryAid’s services has risen dramatically in the last couple of years which reflects the fact that more colleagues then ever need some support, but it also shows that more colleagues than ever now know there is somewhere they can go to get that help.
Checkout Scotland has been key in driving that transformation, but the event also plays a major role in generating vital funds for GroceryAid to allow the charity to continue ramping up the services it provides north of the border and the money it spends on grants and other financial support.
“We are absolutely delighted that Checkout Scotland raised in excess of £30,000 for GroceryAid last month,” says Matthew Howie, Chair of GroceryAid Scotland. “Every penny of that money will be spent helping our industry colleagues in Scotland and everyone who attended Checkout or who donated in any way to GroceryAid Scotland should be proud of what they have helped achieve.
“Just as important however is the fact that awareness levels of GroceryAid are higher than they’ve ever been in Scotland and that’s in no small part down to the success of Checkout Scotland. Our plan from day one has always been to create a truly enjoyable, relaxed event with a great atmosphere that most definitely has a Scottish flavour to it.
“The feedback from retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and everyone else from last month’s event has been truly overwhelming and it’s clear that Checkout Scotland has a bright future. There’s no other event like it in Scotland and I would urge everyone in our sector to get involved next year whether that’s as a sponsor or just in buying some tickets. There’s no better way of doing your bit while also having an unforgettable night out with colleagues from the industry.”
