Nairn Town and County Hospital patients can now enjoy its garden thanks to Nairn Rotary Club’s help
A Nairn hospital charity has celebrated a £6200 boost to help improve lives of patients in the town.
The League of Friends at Nairn Town and County Hospital, a group raising funds for aid and equipment for the comfort and wellbeing of patients and staff, said they were delighted with a donation by Nairn Rotary Club which allowed the creation of a patio for patients in wheelchairs to enjoy the hospital’s garden.
Chair of the charity, Sonia MacKay, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to the Nairn Rotary Club and everyone who has donated.
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“Choosing us as their designated charity, they raised such a wonderful amount, and this funding allowed us to make a patio area for patients to be wheeled out and sit out in the sun. The Nairn Mens Shed also made picnic benches to go on this patio area, which is great.“
Over the years the charity has provided furnishing and items for the hospital, including two fully-furnished palliative care rooms and special beds.
“If we can get it, we will,” Ms Mackay said.
“We are constantly receiving money from the community, in large part for the care they received at the hospital, as well as letters. Generally, these come from families who have lost someone but want to say thanks for the care their loved one has received.
“Nairn Hospital is such a ‘one-stop shop’ for so many services, and we try to help everyone on the team.“
Declan Flynn, secretary for Nairn Rotary, said: “Rotary is all about trying to help our community and after meeting with Margaret of the League of Friends last summer, we decided that our main project for the year ahead would be to raise funds for them in helping to finance the fitting out of a new Palliative Care Room in Nairn hospital, as well as the purchase of other equipment and furnishings within the hospital and grounds.
“We set ourselves a target of raising £3000 and held seven fundraising activities throughout the year comprising Street Markets (in July, November and May), Highland Games in August, ‘Wheels of Nairn’ in September, a Charity Concert in November and a ‘Race Night’ in May.
“Thanks to the unbelievable support of the Nairn Community and the unending commitment of our volunteers we exceeded our target significantly by raising a total of £6,200, which we were delighted to donate to the League of Friends in helping them continue to make a positive difference to those in care of our local hospital, which we are blessed to have in Nairn.
“Working with the League of Friends is I believe a great example of what can be achieved in our community by working together and a further example of this was the support we got from Nairn’s Men Shed, where thanks to Paul Bassett and others, we now have two wonderful wheelchair accessible picnic tables in the hospital grounds for patients, their friends and relatives to enjoy.”
