Elizabeth MacKinnon came up with a ‘novel’ way to raise money for Eczema Outreach Support, with a sponsored read-a-thon.

Bookworm Elizabeth,  an EOS member from Inverness, was keen to read more in 2020 so decided to donate £5 to EOS for every book she read throughout the year.

The mum of two read 37 books, raising £185 for EOS, which husband Stuart decided to match meaning the family donated an incredible £370.

Elizabeth said: “In retrospect looking back at 2020 I chose the ideal challenge seeing as we were locked in for lots of the year!

“I decided I wanted to give back to EOS and thought this would also push me to read more throughout the year. I was an avid reader but having two little ones made it more difficult to find the time. Knowing the books would also result in a donation really spurred me on and I’m pleased with the total.”

Elizabeth has been a member of EOS since 2019 and her daughter Iris (3) suffers from eczema, with her skin being badly inflamed as an infant.

Elizabeth, who is also mum to Franklin (6), said: “Iris was always scratching and in pain as an infant, she would wake up crying and unable to tell us she was sore. As a parent it was heart breaking to see her in pain and we didn’t know much about the condition or how to manage it at first.

“We heard about EOS and signed up and I remember crying when we received the welcome pack. It just felt overwhelming to realise we weren’t alone and that there was help out there. I joined the Facebook group and it has been a great source of support. While Iris’ skin is manageable now, I like to check in and you see people where you were two years ago. You just want to give them a hug.”

Iris still scratches through the night and gets dry patches under her eyes but her skin is much better than before and can tell her mum and dad when she needs moisturiser or is sore.

Elizabeth added: “We found the support from EOS invaluable and wanted to give back so more families could benefit from the help.”

The MacKinnon family plan to continue their fundraising efforts for EOS with another challenge next year so they can continue to help other families struggling with eczema.