A PAISLEY sweet shop has raised a tasty amount of money for Mental Health Charity SAMH through a Tik Tok challenge that has gone viral. 

The challenge has now been attempted 2.5 million times world wide, with people from as far away as the USA, Canada and Australia have stepped up to the plate to take it on.

SAMH SweetPunkz Super Sour Challenge UPDATE! @SAMHtweets #samh 💛#sweetpunkzsupersourchallenge #sweetpunkz #sour pic.twitter.com/fLYpo0RPOF

SweetPunkz challenged followers of its social media accounts to claim a free sour packet and attempt the 20 second challenge to raise vital funds for Scotland’s national mental health charity.

@sweetpunkz

Introducing the SweetPunkz #SourChallenge for #SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) - JustGiving link in bio! CHECK COMMENTS FOR HOW TO....

♬ SUGAR - ROBIN SCHULZ feat. Francesco Yates

Those who take part must hold the treat in their mouth for as long as possible while recording the attempt for everyone to see. 

The Gazette:

Latest ONS stats, for the period of January 27 to March 7, show around one in five adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021. This is an increase of 19 per cent from in November 2020, and more than double that seen before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

And SweetPunkz owner Grant Fraser explained that watching the effect that lockdown was having on mental health was what spurred him into action.

Grant, 28, said: “The pandemic has taken its toll on many people’s mental health, and the demand for charities such as SAMH has never been higher. SAMH have worked tirelessly throughout lockdown, and we decided we wanted to help them out by raising awareness of mental health and the invaluable work that the charity carries out."

The original target was for £300, but that total has been raised FOUR TIMES over. 

The Gazette:

He added: “Never for a moment did we believe that we would raise over £1,200 for charity. We have been blown away by the support we have received, not just from here but from outside of the UK. 

“What started as just a bit of fun to raise a little bit of cash has quickly snowballed into something special. It has been fantastic, and we are proud to have raised so much for such a worthy cause."

Chloe Watson, Community and Events Fundraiser at SAMH said: “We are so thankful to receive donations from the SweetPunkz Super Sour Challenge.

“At SAMH, we know how a mental health problem can affect everything. It can have the most profound impact on our relationships, our work, our wellbeing and our quality of life. These funds will help SAMH raise awareness, promote good mental health and support those in Scotland who need it most.”

To take on the challenge, head over to SweetPunkz or you can donate through their Justgiving page.