Highland charities benefit from donations from McDonald's branches
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A total of 14 charities across the Highlands which offer support to local people have benefited from 'significant' contributions from McDonald’s restaurants in the region.
One of the beneficiaries is The Archie Foundation, which received £40,000 from franchisee Craig Duncan and his restaurant team.
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The charity has been working with the NHS for more than 20 years to enhance and transform paediatric healthcare environments to make a difference for the thousands of children suffering from anxiety and distress while in hospital.
Funds have been used to support Archie’s Child Bereavement Service (ACBS) which supports bereaved children struggling to understand what the death of a loved one means and to understand the emotions they are experiencing.
This can include providing specialist books and volunteer responders to facilitate in-person support, often using arts and crafts as a means of encouraging children to open up and share their feelings and memories.
Paula Cormack, chief executive at Archie’s Foundation, said: “We’re so grateful to McDonald’s and Craig Duncan for this generous contribution – the funds will go a long way in helping children and families who have lost a loved one, and we hope to grow this vital work even further. We look forward to continuing our partnership with McDonald’s and supporting the local community together.”
Other charities who have received funding from the McDonald’s Highlands restaurants include Actions for Children Inverness, Forres Riding for the Disabled, Nairn Hydro-therapy Pool, Highland Riding for Disabled, RMH Yorkhill, Kipawa, Moray Food Plus, Cawdor Bowling Club, Mikeysline, Held in our Hearts, the Scottish Football Association and Highland Cycle Ability Centre.
The donations were made possible by the newly launched ‘McDonald’s in the Community Foundation’, set up by 16 Scottish McDonald’s franchisees, and the 20 McDonald’s-owned restaurants in Scotland. The foundation provides a central hub to help distribute funds, raised by the 10 pence carrier bag charge, to different charities and organisations across Scotland.
McDonald’s franchisee Craig Duncan, who owns and operates seven restaurants across the north of Scotland, said: “Supporting our local community is of the utmost importance to my team and me, which is why I was so pleased to see the McDonald’s in the Community Foundation officially launch this year. It means that each restaurant group can make meaningful contributions to charities in the communities that we operate in.
“All of these charities support the local community in some way and we are delighted to be able to help with this funding. Whether it be mental health support, proving food for families, putting on free activities for children or building facilities for disabled people, each one plays an important part in many lives. I’d like to thank every organisation for the tremendous work they do and we look forward to hearing about the great work they do in the future.”
To date, the proceeds from the 10 pence carrier bag charge across Scotland McDonald’s restaurants, have been donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.
Donations totalled £3.9m by 2021 and went towards building the brand new RMHC House in Edinburgh.
