Gas workers brush up on their decorating skills to help hospice
Ambitions to create an innovative daycare facility at a Renfrewshire hospice have moved one step forward thanks to the generosity of SGN staff.
Workers at the gas distribution company recently swapped their day job for decorating to help out at St Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood.
A team of eight volunteers from the company’s Cambuslang depot lent a helping hand to the hospice in a bid to give back to an organisation which has helped families at their lowest ebb.
The team chose to help the hospice as part of SGN’s community action programme, which gives employees time off to help out in their local communities.
Scot Dougall, an engineering manager at the company, wanted to give back to St Vincent’s following the death of his brother-in-law Stuart, who suffered from pancreatic cancer and died last year.
Scot, who comes from Lochwinnoch, said: “Stuart passed away on June 18, at home, with his wife Ruth by his side.
“He was only 54.Throughout his illness, he received first-class support from St Vincent’s.
“A palliative care nurse called Helen, who cared for Stuart and supported Ruth, was remarkable.”
St Vincent’s Hospice delivers end of life care for people with life limiting illnesses while supporting their families.
Its dedicated staff care for people within its eight-bed hospice but also at people’s homes. And moving forward, the hospice will use the converted barn to deliver a new day care facility.
The additional space will allow the hospice to expand its provision to include classes on issues such as pain management and other subjects of particular interest to its patients.
It will open in March.
Scot and his fellow SGN colleagues painted rooms in the barn as part of their volunteering and will return to help out this spring.
SGN also donated £500 to the hospice.
Kirsteen Murray, CEO of St Vincent’s, said: “It is incredibly tough for hospices like ours at the current time with finances stretched in all directions.
“Not having to pay for the decoration of the barn was so very welcome and the gift of £500 on top, to pay for patient care, was a lovely bonus.
“We are all so grateful to SGN and Scot.”
Scot added: “I want to thank all my colleagues for their hard work and dedication.
“I’d also like to thank SGN for giving us all the opportunity to give something back to our community and for also donating £500.
“But most of all, I’d like to thank St Vincent’s. It truly is an amazing place that does incredible things, and we are eternally grateful for everything they did for Stuart and Ruth.”
Not having to pay for the decoration of the barn was so very welcome and the gift of £500 was a bonus