The ARCHIE Foundation

Orkney fundraiser 'Celebrate with Emily' raises an amazing £11,570.89

A young sixteen year old Orcadian lass has been able to deliver an early Christmas present by handing over a cheque for £11, 570.89 to the ARCHIE Foundation last week. The money will go towards the refurbishment of a kitchen area within the parent suite at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. Emily, who is herself taking tentative steps on the road to recovery from illness, has expressed her gratitude to the people of Orkney, and further afield, for their support in achieving the “amazing” total.

She said they had smashed her “dream goal” of £10,000. “I cannot believe how much support we have had for the fundraiser — it has been so amazing and so many people have helped.” Emily and her parents, along with the help of local singer Gwenda Shearer, organised a series of nostalgic variety events entitled, “The Celebrate with Emily” concerts, which culminated in a fitting finale on Emily’s 16th birthday.

Audiences turned out to show their support at the variety nights in Holm, Finstown, St Margaret’s Hope, Stromness, Harray, and at the grand finale in the Orphir Community Centre.

Emily’s family have received invaluable support from the ARCHIE Foundation and they wanted to give something back, and so the idea for the variety concerts was born.

A range of musicians, bands and performers and businesses who donated raffle prizes willingly agreed to come on board and Emily says they are indebted to them for their support. The concert tour was intended to be reminiscent of those which toured the Orkney parishes in the 1950s, and took place from September 17 to October 1.

A number of other people also decided to fundraise for the cause. “We have got to thank the Pop Tarts singing group from Holm who performed in the Commodore, raising £500, and the Kirkwall Grammar School put on a ‘Dress up for ARCHIE Day’,” Emily said. “There is a charity shop in Shetland, the Aald Skule Recycling Unit, who gave us £1,000 and that got us started. We could not believe they had been so generous, but there are families benefiting from the accommodation there as well.

“We must also thank Gwenda Shearer for her invaluable assistance and everyone that helped with the catering, the people from the Orphir community, all the acts that took part and all the businesses who donated raffle prizes. It was really easy to get everyone on board, everyone was really willing to help.”

Emily, who is back at school and getting back to “normal life”, explained why the charity is close to her heart: “When your child is admitted to the hospital the ARCHIE Foundation really helps you. “When your child is ill you already have a lot of stress and you do not want to have the problem of finding somewhere to stay. You need somewhere that you can get a proper sleep and rest and somewhere to relax during what is a very difficult time in many cases. “It is such a homely place; it really is a home from home. The foundation has done so much for us and I have made so many friends.” However, the kitchen, at present, has no cooking facilities other than a microwave and has space for only two people to be in it at a time.The accommodation is used by around 6,500 families every year and can accommodate up to 20 families per night, so a refurbishment would make a significant difference

Fundraising manager for the ARCHIE Foundation, Cassie Thompson, was in Orkney last week to accept the cheque. She explained: “It is planned to extend the room to approximately double the current size and allow for it to be fitted out with all the essential items needed in a kitchen, including proper cooking facilities.

“This extension and refurbishment will enhance the support for families of sick children from across the north of Scotland and the Northern Isles. Helping to minimise some of the stress and, importantly, financial cost for families by providing a more homely surrounding with improved facilities that will allow parents to cook for themselves rather than buying in ready prepared meals or takeaways.

“It is hoped this will be a great help at what is often already a difficult time for families. A refurbished and extended kitchen will enable families to continue to be able to simply focus on their sick child.”

Cassie stressed that having the right environment, people, equipment and family close by had been shown to make a real difference to how quickly a child recovers from illness, even reducing the time they need to be in hospital.

“This, in turn, reduces family disruption, particularly if families are a long way from home, as they often are at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. The total project cost is £56,000, and the cheque from Emily will give them an “amazing head start”, Cassie added.

Emily says she is by no means finished fundraising for the foundation, with plans in the pipeline, possibly introducing an annual event of some sort. But she would also like to set up a Friends of ARCHIE Group in the county and would like to hear from anyone who may be interested in getting involved.

Cassie said they are grateful for Emily’s ongoing endeavours to raise awareness of the charity. “ARCHIE receives near daily requests for support and funding, which can range from a few pounds to a million-pound redevelopment.

Cassie concluded with a note of personal thanks to Emily and her family. “I want to say a special thank you to Emily — what is unique about Emily is that she wants to give something back. We rely on the generosity of people like the Findlays and the communities of Orkney to do what they can — we have been really overwhelmed by such support.”

Cassie Thompson, Fundraising Manager pictured above with Emily Findlay and her family (Mother: Michelle, Father: Clinton: and Brother: Max)