PICTURES: A welcome windfall for Inverness-based hospice from popular train ride
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Highland Hospice has enjoyed a welcome boost from its popular mini railway attraction this summer.
During lockdown, the Inverness-based charity had to cancel all of its face-to-face fundraising, and faced a funding shortfall of £750,000.
This was remedied thanks to funding from the Scottish Government to help all hospice charities and now it has revealed that takings from the family fun ride at Whin Park has raised a further £25,000 in a matter of weeks.
The hospice took over the railway in 2019 after its previous owner and operator sadly died.
From April to October last year it generated a surplus of £14,137, all of which went to fund the hospice’s vital work supporting people at the end of their lives.
Lockdown this year meant the railway was unable to reopen in the spring, but started carrying passengers again at the start of July and enjoyed a bumper season.
Takings topped £12,000 in July, compared to just £3000 for the same month last year.
And in August the railway surpassed all expectations, taking in £13,000 compared to just £6000 last year.
Highland Hospice’s head of fundraising, Andrew Leaver, said: “The volunteers at the railway have been commenting on how busy this summer has felt, and these figures really highlight this.
“There has been a lot of extra work with the added challenge of managing social distancing. We are incredibly grateful to the fantastic railway team for keeping it running so smoothly and effectively.
“Although some of this year’s August total came as a result of the railway remaining open when the schools returned, to accommodate visitors from outside Scotland, the rise in figures is still just incredible.
“With so much of the hospice’s fundraising having been put on hold this year, it’s great to have a success story with our much-loved railway which has brought joy to so many families this summer.”
The railway takings add to the other summer boost the hospice enjoyed, as Highland pensioner Margaret Payne (90) gave the hospice £140,000 of the £400,000 she raised climbing the stairs at her Sutherland home to the equivalent height of Suilven over 10 weeks.
