'A very caring community' – Huntly tops £13k of hospital support through Friends of Jubilee Hospital's year-long project
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A DEVOTED charity figure has described Huntly's incredible generosity as "quite humbling, actually", after her group's year-long effort raised more than £13,000.
The Friends of Jubilee Hospital's Grand Raffle, launched last spring, had more than 80 raffle prizes donated to it by local businesses and individuals.
Among the projects which will benefit is the ongoing refurbishment of the hospital's Rothieden Ward.
Drawn in the Square earlier this month, during the Farmer's Market, the £1500 top prize from Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky was won by Rothiemay woman Senga Bunstrock.
And, along with the £1000 second prize, goodies on offer included hampers and a golf day.
Vouchers for local firms also featured heavily, to go towards flowers, hotels, beauty treatments, whisky, shortbread, haircuts, MOTs, gardening and more.
“I cannot emphasise enough the generosity of the business community here,” Friends of Jubilee Hospital chairwoman Fiona Murray said.
“It's been just...quite humbling, actually."
The draw was done by using Huntly FC’s tombola, provided by its builder Fred Webster, and local funeral director Ian Esslemont provided a sound system.
Mrs Murray and Diane Barbour from NHS Grampian had the honour of selecting the winning tickets.
Friends of Jubilee Hospital chairwoman Fiona Murray confirmed that, that despite delays, the Rothieden Ward will be open as “a really good, 20-bedded, community hospital that's fit for people” within months.
An opening in June was now most likely, she added, with extra work planned to improve key parts of the building including water quality.
The finished project will see patients return to both the unit itself and its daycare room.
Huntly, she added, was lucky to have the hospital and its associated facilities so close to home.
“We are so fortunate in having the facilities up there - the medical centre, the vaccination centre and the Rothieden once it's open again,” she said.
“And I can guarantee that all the staff from Rothieden are looking forward to resuming their duties there.
“The staff are absolutely wonderful and I know they have missed their patients over the last year.”
Mrs Murray said that the community’s excitement for the Rothieden Ward’s reopening was reflected in the groundswell of support for the grand raffle.
Around 85 prizes were donated and more than £13,000 raised to support the hospital.
“Virtually every business in Huntly donated something,” Mrs Murray said.
This generosity also saw the grand raffle feature in hospitality tents at both the Turriff Show and the Royal Northern Show to boost ticket sales.
“Without exception, the businesses have been fantastic – and that's wonderful,” Mrs Murray said.
“To have over 80 prizes donated by Huntly businesses and individuals, I think, is absolutely wonderful.
“It would be lovely to thank them for that.”
Mrs Murray also thanked members of the local community for supporting the grand raffle by buying tickets, along with decades of the Friends’ prior fundraising efforts.
She said that one raffle participant, who won a cash sum, even donated it back to the hospital in a "lovely gesture".
“We are so grateful to both the business community and the local community for all the support that we've had,” she said.
“Everybody has been so generous in buying tickets.
“We have a very good community, a very caring community.
“Not only in the Grand Raffle, but other things as well over the years.
“It means we can support the hospital for many years to come and we're all looking forward to a refurbished facility there.”
The group’s year-long effort meant that drawing the raffle was “a huge relief”, Mrs Murray said.
“It was marvellous,” she added.
“I think everybody was quite exhausted towards the end of it, but, no, it's been fantastic.”
Mrs Murray said the Friends’ will now “rest for a couple of months”, before hosting a fairtrade coffee morning in August before another big effort in 2025.
And, with Rothieden’s reopening in sight, the Friends’ plan to return to their duties maintaining the hospital garden for the patients.
Through support from the Friends’, Aberchirder’s Men’s Shed is set to build potting benches for Rothieden patients to help them get outdoors.
With one designed for standing up, another will suit wheelchair users.
The chairwoman also praised the group’s “really, really good committee”, for which she said she was “very fortunate”.
