An Ardrossan performer has raised an astonishing £1,600 for the town’s Harbour Centre after hosting a Hogmanay livestream which reached hundreds of viewers from across the globe.

The Herald reported last month how 55-year-old Mark Findlay had raised an impressive sum for the Alzheimer Scotland day care centre thanks to a Christmas Night In concert held online.

Now Mark has gone one step further by doubling what he originally raised.

The virtual night in even attracted international audiences – with people tuning in from as far as Australia and Canada.

Mark said: “It was a great night. With it being Hogmanay, around 400 people watching at the one time.

“The generosity was off the scale. I think it helped the fact that we’re in lockdown so everyone was cooped up at home. It gave them something to watch and people were glad I was doing it because the telly wasn’t up to much.

“My friend who lives in Canada tuned in and my cousin in Cyprus was watching too, as well as my friends and family down south and in Australia. It was midday there so it really went global. It was crazy but good fun and the centre are going to really benefit from it.

“I’d like to thank my good friend Jim Savage who kept putting the PayPal link up while I was playing. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have raised as much.”

Joiner Mark said that he would not rule out hosting another virtual show around Valentine’s Day or Easter, but that it would purely be for entertainment purposes.

When normal life resumes, he hopes to organise a charity fundraiser at the Ardrossan Civic Centre or Saltcoats Town Hall to continue the merriment.

Susan Maxwell, Alzheimer Scotland’s North Ayrshire Locality Leader, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you and well done to Mark. This incredible sum of money will make such a difference to Alzheimer Scotland and will go a long way in helping us continue to provide support to people with dementia and their families in the local area.

“The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on our ability to fundraise and it’s people like Mark and those who supported him, who make sure we can still be there for the people who need our vital support.”