Crerar Trust donates £20,000 towards Fresh Air Project

The ARCHIE Foundation was delighted to accept a donation of £20,000 to contribute to the Fresh Air Project, the next stage of development within the Highland Children’s Unit.

The Fresh Air Project will refurbish the gardens surrounding the unit as well as the outdoor play area accessed by the children’s ward to create safe, comfortable, all weather outdoor spaces for children and their families.

ARCHIE Highland will create six fully accessible feature gardens, one of which will be situated at the main entrance and the Wildflower Garden which will be located adjacent to the Palliative Care room.

This substantial donation from Crerar Trust will contribute to the provision and installation of PVC sails within the outdoor play space at the Highland Children’s Unit as well as the installation of garden landscaping.

The new gardens will have a huge impact on the experience of all patients and their families from Inverness as well as the Highlands and Islands and particularly benefit our most vulnerable sick children who have long-term or complex health problems and are spending extended periods of time in hospital.

Christina Brockman-More, Fundraising Manager for ARCHIE Highland said: “The new gardens will have a huge impact on the experience of all patients and their families from Inverness as well as the Highlands and Islands and particularly benefit our most vulnerable sick children who have long-term or complex health problems and are spending extended periods of time in hospital.”

Crerar Hotels operate 11 hotels and inns which are based in Scotland. Uniquely, more than 50% of the group’s distributable profits are donated to charities operating within areas where Crerar Hotels are based.

The Trust, which is chaired by Paddy Crerar CBE, has awarded £7.5m of grants to over 400 organisations over the last 17 years. This forms part of a commitment to re-invest in the communities in which the group’s hotels and inns are based.

The Crerar Trust meets twice a year to award grants, with application periods closing on 1 April and 1 October, respectively. In this current funding round, £251,187.00 of grants were awarded to 30 organisations.

A wide variety of organisations received awards, including those providing support across health, education, and social inclusion to people of all ages.

Paddy Crerar CBE, Chairman, of The Crerar Trust and Chief Executive of Crerar Hotels said: “We are delighted to have made this award to The ARCHIE Foundation and look forward to hearing how this funding helps impact their work. Crerar Hotels is committed to giving back to the local community to help it grow and thrive, and provide opportunities that may otherwise seem out of reach. For every stay our customers have with us they are supporting others, who really need it. It is great for our folk in the hotels to see their hard work and efforts helping people in their own communities as well as those from throughout the whole of Scotland.”

Mary Nimmo, Chair of The ARCHIE Foundation Highland Fundraising Board, adds: “This is an incredible amount of money to receive and we are both humbled and grateful to The Crerar Trust. This money will directly benefit children and their families who have to spend time within the Highland Children’s Unit. It is well known that the fresh air has a positive impact on health and well-being, helping to reduce loneliness, anxiety, depression and stress – this donation will go a long way to achieving our aim of transforming the outdoor arears at the Unit. We would like to extend our sincerest thank you to The Crerar Trust.”