Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Super donation helps hospice
Morrisons money will fund kitchen
Morrisons has served up a crucial donation to St Andrew’s Hospice – with the supermarket’s charity foundation handing over a fantastic £ 181,500 to the Airdrie good cause.
The grant will be used to fund the kitchen and food preparation areas at the refurbished hospice, which reopened its doors to patients last Wednesday after more than a year of building work.
Hospice catering staff will use the upgraded new facilities to prepare high-quality, home-cooked meals, cakes and treats for patients and their families to enjoy.
Capital appeal director Karen McFadyen and hospice trust fundraising officer Lorna McCafferty visited the Airdrie branch of Morrisons to collect the bumper cheque from store manager Jim Leghorn and community champion Ann Seagriff.
Ann then visited the refurbished hospice to see the finished renovations.
She said: “It was great to see first- hand what a difference the refurbishment will make, and I’m delighted that the Morrisons Foundation has been able to support this important project in our community.”
Established three years ago, the Morrisons Foundation “supports charities delivering projects which help to improve people’s lives”, and has already made donations totalling more than £18million.
Lorna McCafferty added: “The patients, families and staff at St Andrew’s Hospice would like to thank the Morrisons Foundation for their very generous donation.”
The donation came as the hospice admitted its first patient following the £9m transformation work.
Staff were on hand to receive the first patients to transfer from the hospice’s decant facility at Wester Moffat Hospital, where they have been based since January 2017.
They were transported across the town by senior managers from the Scottish Ambulance Service who had volunteered to help out.
Hospice chief executive Bruce High said: “I’d like to thank everyone for the massive efforts they’ve made over the past few months in preparation for this historic day; we appreciate the time and dedication.”
So far, £5.75m of the required £9m has been raised – with the capital appeal continuing to raise the remaining money.
Fundraisers have now launched the St Andrew’s Hospice Homecoming campaign and are asking supporters to hold an event such as a coffee morning or afternoon tea to contribute to the total – or to text “ROOM18 £5” to 70070 to donate £5 to the Appeal.