Coffee morning raises £800

A COFFEE morning organised by an Inverness family has raised £800 towards the appeal for a new children’s ward at Raigmore Hospital.

Peter and Nicola O’Hara, of Greenwood Place, Milton of Leys, wanted to do something in return for the care their sons, 11-year-old Ben and 15-month-old Riley, received on the ward.

“We are delighted and want to thank everyone for their support,” said Mrs O’Hara after the coffee morning at the Raigmore Community Centre. It also featured home baking, a bottle stall and raffle prizes including a round of golf at Fairways in Inverness, signed football tops from Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County, a hamper donated by Lifescan and an MOT.

The £1 million appeal for a more child-friendly and family-focused ward has been launched by the ARCHIE Foundation and The Inverness Courier.

The grateful couple were inspired to add their support to the appeal after reading about it in the Courier especially as Professor George Youngson, a trustee of the ARCHIE Foundation, was among the surgical team which operated on Riley in the first few months of his life.

“I think all charities are worthy,” Mrs O’Hara said. “I think they all deserve money but this is our community. These are our kids and this is our area.

“We need this here. We cover such a huge area. Why should we not have a state-of-the-art facility? Why should we not have the same facilities as Aberdeen and Glasgow?”