Lisa Simpson aids Tibetan orphans

The signed figure of Lisa Simpson has been handed over to the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Dumfries and Galloway to be auctioned off for charity

A Buddhist monastery in the south of Scotland has enlisted Lisa Simpson in a bid to raise funds for Tibetan orphans.

A two-foot cardboard figure of the cartoon character - signed by creator Matt Groening and various voice actors - is being put up for auction.

The cutout has been given to the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Dumfriesshire by owner Alan Hill from Clackmannanshire.

It will be sold to raise funds for Rokpa - a charity founded in Scotland to raise funds for Tibetan children.

Mr Hill has owned the Lisa Simpson figure since 2000 when the cast of the show performed a one-off live show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

This is a wonderful gift and the money will be used to ensure poor and orphaned Tibetan children have enough to eat and are able to go to school Akong Rinpoche Samye Ling Tibetan Centre

He went to a charity auction for Rokpa hoping to buy a pack of cards signed by Jerry Sadowitz but ended up with Lisa and a vase made by Johnny Vegas.

He said: "Lisa was the star item at an auction of Fringe memorabilia.

"I didn't intend to buy her but the auctioneer was very good and I ended up getting competitive.

"I paid £500 for her and had her specially framed in double sided glass."

However, he felt the time was right for her to move on and wanted the same charity to benefit once again.

"I have owned her for nine years now and my children have grown up with her but I wanted to pass her on to someone who would really appreciate her," he said.

"I wanted the money to go to the same charity - I knew the auction was raising money for Tibetan children but I couldn't remember the name of the charity so I got in touch with the Fringe office for advice."

Akong Rinpoche, the Tibetan lama who set up Rokpa in 1980, said any money raised would help support schools for some of the poorest Tibetan children.

He said: "This is a wonderful gift and the money will be used to ensure poor and orphaned Tibetan children have enough to eat and are able to go to school.

"The motto of Rokpa is 'helping where help is needed' and we will make sure whatever money is raised will go to wherever it can be of most benefit."