Trident Tax gifts new specialist bed to Glenlaw House in Dundee
Children with complex healthcare and medical needs are to benefit from the donation of a specialist bed, which will allow them to join in with activities.
Glenlaw House in Dundee has received a £7,000 Acheeva bed, thanks to generous support from Trident Tax.
The bed is a mobile, multi-positioning therapy and learning station, which allows children and young adults to switch between positions.
This means they can take part in therapy and social activities without needing to move from the bed.
Trident Tax was formed in 2009 by managing director Alan Kennedy, employing 16 people who provide specialist tax advice to private clients.
He and his wife Gail, a former intensive care nurse, are originally from Dundee and still have a house in the city.
The couple were visiting Alan’s mum in Ninewells Hospital when they called into the Archie office to make a cash donation. They met volunteer Edith Christie, who told them about the work Archie does to support babies, children and families across Tayside and the north.
“We now live in Nottingham so hadn’t heard of Archie and were not aware of Glenlaw House, but when we visited we were absolutely blown away by the passion and dedication of the staff who care for the children. It felt more like a family,” said Gail.
Gail did her own nursing training at Ninewells and worked in coronary care as well as intensive care, continuing her career in cardiac nursing after they moved to England.
The couple have two adult daughters of their own, Rebecca and Lucy, and have committed to continuing to support The Archie Foundation.
Alan said: “We were so grateful for the care my mum received at Ninewells and wanted to give back and do something for others. We are from Dundee and still have a house here so want to support our home city.”
The unit provides respite care for up to four children at a time and currently supports 31 families from across Dundee, Angus and Perth, providing an NHS service not offered anywhere else in Scotland.
Dawn McFawns, senior charge nurse at Glenlaw House, said: “This was such a very generous donation which resulted from a chance conversation. Alan and Gail are not the first ones to tell us that they were not aware of the service, but we are working very hard, alongside The Archie Foundation, to raise our profile and share what we offer at Glenlaw House. I am delighted that we managed to convey to Alan and Gail the commitment and dedication that is integral to this nurse-led service.”
The Archie Foundation and funder Spifox previously funded a new sensory room for Glenlaw House, which has six beds, including one crisis bed, which has been used at least once a month for families in urgent need of help.
Archie is providing ongoing support for Glenlaw House, including funding regular sensory sessions for the children and helping to make improvements to its sensory garden.
Rebecca Duncan, business development and fundraising manager Tayside at The Archie Foundation, said it was grateful to Mr and Mrs Kennedy and Trident Tax.
“We are very grateful to Alan and Gail for supporting Glenlaw House and I’ve seen first hand that this Acheeva bed will be a valuable asset for the children, making a real difference to their experience by allowing them to take part in activities and enjoy new experiences in comfort, outside of their wheelchairs and beds. Archie has built a strong relationship with the staff and parents and carers support group and we are proud to be able to support this fantastic resource. Alongside our ongoing work at the Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells and across the whole region, we are looking forward to continuing to work with Glenlaw House.”
