Why I’m backing your campaign

A family faced with these circumstances has to deal with all the immediate issues of ill-heath, terminal illness and disease.
Wonderful
On my visit to Rachel House I was struck by the enormity of how much that could impact on a family, on the parents. Especially where there is an inherited disorder. One child may have gone and there is the prospect of another child with the same illness.
The personal stories I heard illustrated to me why we need the wonderful facilities of Rachel House.
The staff have skill, dedication and commitment. They take the process of death, and actually try to enhance life.
Everything about Rachel House is about life. The enjoyment of life, getting more out of some limited time — that’s the atmosphere they create.
Not only are the staff touching the lives of the young people, they’re also touching the lives of the families.
It was interesting to see that often the children cope while the parents don’t.
A brief visit doesn’t allow you properly to get to know a community like Rachel House. But you get clear impressions.
The people working there are dealing with some of the darkest times that anyone has to cope with. Yet the support they give turns what could be a depressing place into a place of enormous life and vitality.
It does that, yet when dignity is needed — and death requires dignity — that is also there.
Dignity
I can sum up Rachel House in a few phrases — help when it’s needed, dignity when it’s required, peace when it’s appropriate. Understanding and respect all of the time.
All of this had an enormous personal impact on Julie and me. We realised that Rachel House is a very special place which deserves the support of the wider community and the people of Scotland.
When we were there we felt we wanted to be part of the practicalities affecting the families we met.
And they revolve round three things:—
First of all they already get very good help from the Scottish Executive through the Health Boards, with Tayside Health Board co-ordinating that.
But what we must do for every organisation, including Rachel House, is to make sure there are no unnecessary burdens or duplications in the way they can access resources.
In discussions with the Scottish Executive departments so far, we have made sure any problems which arise on that front will be tackled.
But the main concern of Rachel House is caring. There is a huge fund-raising exercise going on but we must make sure that the pursuit of fund-raising doesn’t eat into the psychology of the care that they provide.
The second point — and I want this to be a constructive point — is that there are eight councils out of the 32 in Scotland which don’t make a contribution to Rachel House.
There may be good reasons for that but I will be getting in touch with the eight councils to say that this is an organisation at the forefront of everything that a civilised, compassionate Scotland would want to symbolise.
So if there are no good reasons for the contribution not being made, please rethink.
Thirdly, with the prospect of the new facility at Loch Lomondside, I can say that the Executive will want to make a contribution.
We are not at the point with the Health Department where we’ve discussed in detail the extent of the plans and what might be involved.
Tremendous
But I can tell The Sunday Post that the Executive wants to help.
Discussions will take place so that a contribution can be made to the new facility. It will be on the capital side, for the building.
My experience at Rachel House was a very positive one but the good thing is that they are tremendous at fund-raising. It’s done fantastically well.
Government does have a role, but Government in this case doesn’t have the most important role. But we do speak for the people of Scotland and I am sure that the people of Scotland want to see us commit ourselves to the hospice movement, and in this case to Rachel House.
I will be doing what I can. Julie and I have agreed to co-host a reception in Bute House, the First Minister's official residence in Edinburgh, to make sure the story is spread as far as it can be.
We will ask businesses in Scotland to help raise money.
As First Minister I have said I want to build a competitive, confident and compassionate country. We need a strong economy. We need to look confidently to the future.
But that must be balanced with compassion. For me that should be translated to help for people on the ground, people like those who run Rachel House and — most importantly who benefit from its care.
Julie and I will continue to be identified with Rachel House. We had a private visit, and that’s the way it should be. It wasn’t about cameras, or about journalists being there. It was so that we could find out what happens there and use the knowledge I gained to be a champion for their cause.
It’s important to become involved in things where Scotland is working together.
And that’s why I’m pleased to be backing The Sunday Post’s fund-raising effort. I hope the schools of Scotland will respond and join the cause.

You can e-mail us at: hospice@sundaypost.com