This is only the beginning . . .
By Craig Robertson
Thank
you. In fact, four million thanks to every one of you for an incredible fund-raising effort.
 The £4.17 million you have raised to build Scotland’s second children’s hospice has been nothing short of phenomenal.
In August 2001, we told you about the campaign to build Robin House, explained why it was so important that it be built and asked you to dig deep.
Boy, did you dig.
We had always been confident that you would respond well, but the scale of your support took even us by surprise. We were quickly swamped by a relentless tidal wave of money and goodwill.
Our initial £250,000 target was reached within a matter of months as you took this campaign to your hearts.
Before long we hit a million — then another as your fund-raising refused to let up.
In the end it produced an incredible £1 million for each of the appeal’s four years. It is an effort unrivalled in newspaper campaigns.
Spirit Of Youth
From the big events such as the Spirit Of Youth concert, which raised more than £30,000, to anonymous fivers delivered in the post, marked “for the children”.
From the Philip Green Memorial Trust’s boxing dinner, which made £70,000, to the likes of Glasgow gran Betty Thomson who sold sweets at her pensioners club.
From Sir Steve
Redgrave, who helped raise £73,500 playing golf, to Stirling lollipop man John Phimister who made £800 from selling football score prediction cards.
Big events and big hearts. Every penny counted.
|
Heroes all — from the top, John Phimister who made £800 from football prediction cards, Wayne Rooney wearing the shirt that auctioned for £660, Betty Thomson who sold £2000 worth of sweets at Bellahouston Leisure Centre pensioners club and Sir Steve Redgrave in the middle of his golfing challenge that raised £73,500.
|
Even in the final weeks of the appeal, as Robin House readies to welcome its first families, the money continued to roll in.
Alexander Gibson from Dumbarton raised £660 by auctioning an England football shirt signed by Wayne Rooney — Alexander’s nephew, Thomas McKechnie, is the kit man for the England team.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Gethins, treasurer of St Mary’s Senior Citizens’ Club in Dundee, handed over a cheque for £600 from the club members.
It’s been commitment like that which has led The Sunday Post and its readers to build a very special relationship with CHAS as we have with the families who use Rachel House and will stay at Robin House.
It’s an association that will only grow stronger and closer over the coming years.
Caring
We know that you will continue to take a keen and caring interest in the two hospices and we will continue to bring you news and stories as they develop.
While so much hard work has gone into getting Robin House built, the real business of the hospice starts now.
Every step of the way through this appeal, we have striven to treat the CHAS families with the consideration and sensitivity that they deserved — and we won’t change that now.
In a few short weeks, the first families will arrive at Robin House and the door will close behind them.
That will allow them the privacy and freedom to relax in their new surroundings and get what they need from the hospice.
So many parents and children have opened their hearts to us over the last four years, baring their souls to let the country know just why this hospice was so desperately needed.
We thank them too for their honesty and their courage in doing so. Now it’s time to let them be for a while.
However they know as we do that Rachel House, Robin House, CHAS, The Sunday Post and its readers will always have a special bond.
This isn’t the end of something — it’s the beginning.
Back
|
You can e-mail us at:
hospice@sundaypost.com
|
