Ronald McDonald House Glasgow thanks Scotmid for support in creating “new normal”

Glasgow’s Ronald McDonald House has taken a step forward towards a “new normal” with updates to communal spaces to accommodate social distancing.

The charity, which provides a place for families to stay when they have children accepting longer-term hospital care in the West of Scotland, teamed up with Scotmid Co-operative to install kitchen pods.

The house has six pods which equip families with everything they need to make food in the same way as they would at home.

When the pandemic hit, kitchen capacity was halved due to the necessary physical distancing measures, which significantly impacted those looking to use the facilities.

Scotmid, who has previously supported Ronald McDonald House Glasgow through its Community Connect funding initiative, has installed Perspex screening between the kitchen pods, enabling more families to use the kitchen at once.

The move will also help the charity to accept new families for accommodation.

Helen Craig, House Director at Ronald McDonald House Glasgow, said: “The communal kitchen area is a hugely important part of the support we give, with families able to come together over a homecooked meal rather than relying on takeaways.

“It’s crucial for all of our kitchen pods to be open and accessible, as the families staying with us need kitchen access at varying times depending on when treatments are happening at the hospital.

“It’s a difficult time with increased costs and unexpected restrictions, and we are so grateful to Scotmid for their generous support and quick action. It has made all the difference to us and to the families we support and will allow us to accept new families going forward.”

Yvonne Goodfellow, Scotmid’s Membership and Community Manager for the West of Scotland, said: “Ronald McDonald House Glasgow provides a really important space to families who are handling a difficult time; a time which was made even more difficult by this pandemic.

“We are glad we have been able to support the charity so it can continue to help families who really need it.”

In addition to covering the costs of the screens and arranging installation, Scotmid provided Ronald McDonald House Glasgow with £500 to spend towards other unexpected, coronavirus-related costs.