Partying in your jammies... all in aid of new city hospice
IT WAS possibly the best ever idea for a night out – if you don’t mind partying in your PJs.
Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice chief executive and fundraising powerhouse Rhona Baillie organised Gin and Jammies, a glamorous get-together at the Grand Central Hotel which took place last night.
Around 300 women attended the fun event, including celebrity pyjama wearers comedian Karen Dunbar, Breaking Bad star Laura Fraser and Miss Scotland, Romy McCahill.
The night out was part of the final push to raise the £21million needed for a new hospice, currently being built in Bellahouston Park.
Rhona Baillie, chief executive of the hospice, said: “When we first started out on the Brick by Brick fundraising campaign, I agreed to put myself out there and do A Little Less Strictly, which involved learning to dance and performing in front of a packed ballroom…it was way out of my comfort zone.
“At the time I said I’d do another fundraiser as we neared the end of the campaign – and this time, I’ve gone for Gin and Jammies.
“It’s the kind of thing my friends and I would do at home – get together for food and cocktails and chill out. So I thought – why not encourage everyone else to do it too?”
TV presenter and former Britain’s Got Talent contestant Edward Reid hosted the event, which included a pyjama fashion show and a few surprises.
Revellers were encouraged to dress as glamorously as possible, with standard scruffy pyjamas replaced by silk and slippers.
The event, whose drinks reception was provided by Rock Rose Gin, was also supported by Gin enthusiasts at The Scottish Gin Society and The Gin Kin, which has resulted in the Gin and Jammies day selling out.
Rhona said:“We couldn’t wait – it was just a lot of fun. We are close to our fundraising target, with slightly less than a million pounds to go.
“There was gin cocktails, great food and fantastic entertainment – and of course the selfie competition – we asked everyone to send in pix of them coming to the event in their jammies.”
Thanks to fundraising efforts, the Brick by Brick Appeal now has just £1m to go to reach its target, with the charity hoping to have raised a large chunk of which yesterday.
The new hospice will provide five-star comfort with 16 private en-suite bedrooms with the focus on patients and family while offering high-quality, costeffective care. The accommodation will allow patients and families to eat together, providing more space, independence and privacy to allow greater opportunity for normal family life.
While the event may have passed, donations can still be made to the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice towards the building of the new hospice.