Our bicentenary celebrations include our commitment to a year-long charitable-giving initiative benefitting local charities and community projects.
On Friday 24 April Nicola Ker, Pauline Dalbeck and Joan Gallacher took a break from the office for a couple of hours and went to Yorkhill Children’s Charity (YCC) offices at Port Dundas to volunteer. They were helping the 18-strong team with event preparations for the Ladies Luncheon to be held at Oran Mor on 10 May. Funds raised will go towards ensuring that delivery of excellent paediatric and obstetric care and research continues.
Pippa Dickson, Partnership Fundraiser at Yorkhill Children’s Charity, commented: “This is our first Ladies Luncheon and we look forward to it becoming an annual event. The support has been amazing and we are sure it will be an extremely successful afternoon.”
The YCC team has been working incredibly hard to organise the event and our volunteers were delighted to assist with various tasks, which included wrapping up hundreds of prizes, both those for the tombola and those to be offered for auction.
Nicola Ker, Solicitor in our Private Client services team in Glasgow said: “A lot of people had generously contributed items varying from hairdryers and Chanel nail polish, to scented candles and Thorntons chocolates. We were very proud of our professional wrapping skills! A more challenging task was framing a signed Glasgow Warriors Shirt – much harder than it sounds!”
Yorkhill treats 160,000 children and young people each year and this is made possible by the fundraising, donations and volunteers who helped raise a record amount of £4.3million in 2013-14. The charity raises funds which go towards world-class medical equipment, research, family support and play services so that each patient receives the best possible treatment and care.
Nicola and her colleagues were all keen to volunteer with local charities in the Glasgow area, and she continued: “My mum nursed at Yorkhill, and as a child, myself and my brother and sister used to visit the hospital quite a lot so I have seen first-hand the amazing work that they do with all the children and how much support and fundraising they need to continue the good work. This experience has certainly made me want to continue being involved in volunteering!
“I have previously volunteered at Ronald McDonald House Charities when completing my Duke of Edinburgh Silver award and it is always a very rewarding experience.”
Pauline Dalbeck, Human Resource advisor, and Joan Gallacher, paralegal in Private Client services agreed that YCC were very welcoming and helpful. Pauline added: “They kept thanking us for our help but it was a privilege to help out such a worthwhile cause and I’m sure the event will be a great success!”
Nicola concluded: “Lindsays 200 it is a great initiative! I love volunteering but would never have had the opportunity to do something like this otherwise. It is a great way to give something back to the local community and feel good about yourself.”
Picture (L to R): Pauline Dalbeck, Joan Gallacher, Pippa Dickson, Nicola Ker
