Making Sick Kids better.
Successul night at the Scottish Parliament.
By Megan Berkley.
MSPs Jack McConnell and George Foulkes on Wednesday night kicked off a very successful event at the Scottish Parliament – to demonstrate their support of the new pyjamas campaign for Scotland’s new Sick Kids hospital to be built in Edinburgh.
The high profile parliamentarians are hosting the reception for MSPs across Scotland to emphasise that the new Sick Kids hospital is for all Scotland’s children: 25% of children treated come from outside the Lothians, many for specialised treatment ,which cannot be obtained anywhere else in the country.
The New Pyjamas campaign wants to raise £15m for the hospital and has already pledged funds for a drop-in centre to be used, by patients and their relatives, helping to make it a centre of excellence in Scotland.
Elaine McGonigle, director of the charity, thinks that the new Pyjamas campaign aims to be fun and initiative and spark people’s imagination.
She said: “It’s about doing something a bit different, and getting to senior Politicians wearing their Pyjamas, to get more people in, and people quite enjoy it.”
The message that she wants to get across on behalf of the charity, is that:
“Once we have people that are willing to come along and engage with us, we make sure we give them everything they need to become effective so you don’t just let them drift.” She said.
It can certainly be seen that tonights event had been a great success, with a fantastic turn out of people who turned up in their Pyjamas. It will definitely be a memorable night .
Elaine first got involved with the Charity 13 months ago, in planning from nothing to a soft launched campaign in the beginning of March. She is building it up gradually, and explains that you have to cover every base; she approached Jack, as she knew him for a very long time and knew of his family connection to the Sick Kids Hospital, and thought it would be an obvious one.
She added: “The campaign took legs and walked!”
From only three months of planning, it was a great success, the feel we get from the organisers of the event is that they are totally committed to what is they are doing, and in order to get that bit closer to this very worthwhile target, everyone needs to get involved!
Claire Mckintosh, George Foulke’s PA was given the credit for coming up with the idea, that everyone should come to this event, dressed in their pyjamas. The focus of the campaign was to raise awareness, and how best to do that is to get MSPs to dress in their Pyjamas.
She said: “I think at least if nothing else tonight has put a trademark on this campaign, it’s been fantastic.”
Although Elaine made it clear it had been a successful night, she still reckons that there is room for more support.
“We need everyone to get behind this, and if everyone in Scotland gave as little at £3, we would reach our target in no time.”
In a speech that George Foulkes made on the night, he is going to make plans to take it down to the Lords in London, and will surely generate a whole different aspect of the campaign, UK wide.
Claire added: “Although it’s a Scottish Campaign, it’s about getting people on board, and there are many Scottish people who are down in London who are in a position to raise awareness, and that is what we are going to keep doing.”
Gordon MacKinlay is a senior lecturer in paediatric surgery at the University of Edinburgh and has been consultant surgeon at the Royal Hospital for sick Children since 1980.
From Wednesday event at the Scottish Parliament, he thinks it is wonderful to have the backing of the MSPS to bring us to the Scottish Parliament to raise the awareness of the campaign and help to reaching their goal of 15 million Pounds for the new children’s hospital, here in Edinburgh.
MacKinlay explains, that money will be raised by all sorts of companies and people who are generous enough to support them, as well as from the public.
He adds: “After all we do serve the public and the public I’m sure will help raise this money for the new hospital.”
And is sure that there will be many events still to follow and it is very important that we maintain a high level of awareness throughout Scotland, so that the Charity is getting the maximum about of money and publicity coming in.
The money will go towards the building of the new hospital in order to give all the high quality services, which perhaps might not be available to normal public funding.
It will enable the operating theatres to be the highest techs specification, with all the latest equipment and gadgets that will mean they are state of the art, and suitable for the Hospital in Edinburgh. He reckons that the building should be completed around 2013.
Mr. MacKinlay has built up an international reputation for his work and his team has probably performed more minimally invasive surgery on Children than any other paediatric surgical unit in the UK.
Sean Mccauley, Chairman of Radio lollipop for Sick Kids radio station, he was there to represent the voluntary organisations and he provides the radio station for the kids whilst they are in hospital. He feels that tonight was a very important cause and the aim of the night was not only to see Jack walking around in his Jammies, we are here to help Children in Hospital. He thinks its nice to get more people aware of the Campaign.
The young peoples group for the provision of the new hospital, also made an appearance at the event, and Hannah Gray from the organisation was there to talk about why she got involved. Her experience from being in hospital was essential and it means that a younger generation is being listened too.
Hannah gave a speech, in front of all those who attended the event and was saying that the young people’s group are having an input and meeting up with some of the designers, and that she has had a lot of input into the Young people’s unit.
Hannah added: “The old hospital is unable to meet the requirements anymore, and we have this amazing chance to make this brand new hospital, that filters in all the needs, that the old hospital couldn’t fill, even although they had amazing staff.
“It will bring a much more positive experience to their hospital stay…just a more positive time, from a hard situation.”
Her attendance tonight was admired by MSP George Foulkes, who said: “ I was very impressed by the two girls from the youth support group, I think that’s indicative of the kind commitment there is to the sick kids hospital, by people who’ve used the facilities, they never forget it.”
George Fawke, MSP for Lothians, never made it into his Pyjamas, he was dressed in them, for his preview and got a lot of coverage from the Scottish media last week. He explains that the new pyjamas campaign, is very important because basic funds come from the NHS, but in order to make it a really top class hospital with facilities for parents and the best possible treatment for Children, we need a bit extra, and fifteen million needs to be raised over the next five years and I think its vitally important that people support the campaign.
“I am so pleased that so many people have turned out today, including a number of MSPs from all parties.” he says.
It’s about making life a bit more comfortable for the parents and their kids, during difficult times. George Fawkes spoke very highly of the Sick Kids hospital and mentioned that he was never out there with his own children, when they used to live across the road, many years ago.
He says that the sick kids we have now is not suitable for a modern hospital, whereas the one out at Little France will be state of the art and have every facility so that the Scottish kids will get the best possible treatment, whatever their illness.
George also remarked that in order to keep the momentum up for the next 5 years, there will be more fund raising events to create awareness. Everyone tonight was having an enjoyable evening including the kids!
Another special guest, who was had an input into Wednesday special event, was Jack McConnell. He showed a strong interest in the care of vulnerable youngsters by becoming an ambassador for the new pyjamas campaign.
Not all the children who use the Sick Kids hospital come from Edinburgh, and Jack was making it clear that 25% come from elsewhere around Scotland. A total of 100,000 get help from the Sick Kids each year, and he was saying that the new facilities are as good as they can be.
Jack hopes that tonight is a novel and interesting way to publicise the campaign. “It is called new pyjamas because it’s about kids in their pyjamas getting their treatment, and the aim for this event was to attract people to the campaign.” He said.
The majority of people who made the event on Wednesday night, will go away knowing how important it to raise funds for this worthwhile Charity, so not only will it improve but also extend existing services and facilities so that more families may benefit from the healing effects of the home from home environment created there.
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