Help ease trauma of child's stay in hospital

MORAY people love a challenge, and they are sure to rise to the latest one, to raise £100,000 to make life for children in Dr Gray's Hospital a little less intimidating.

'The Northern Scot' is delighted at being able to take a lead role in promoting the appeal launched by Moray Friends of ARCHIE, a group of volunteers whose passion it is to see our wee ones as comfortable as possible during a hospital stay.

They have already made a terrific start, raising £10,000, but as plans are finalised for the redevelopment of the Gray's children's ward, they find themselves looking at a six-figure target. It's a tall order, and one which all Moray should get behind.

Local people have done it before, not least with the full-body scanner appeal a few years ago which carried a daunting figure of £500,000, but we did it and in a relatively short time. The response was nothing short of remarkable, and that is what is needed again.

We are sure the whole of Moray will rally to the cause.

Dr Gray's is an important part of community life here, and the children's ward is the latest of a series of developments which offer it a bright future. Going into hospital can be a traumatic experience for anyone, but imagine what it is like for a child and his or her parents and families. We want it to feel like a haven. The friendliness and skill of the staff is unquestioned, but the facilities need to be brought up to date, and the Friends of ARCHIE are playing their part by contributing extras, such as specialist play equipment, beds for parents, and child-friendly and calming features.

Over the years 'The Scot' has covered many presentations of toys and equipment for the children's ward, not least at Christmas time, so the community support has always been there, but this time we need a huge effort to help bring it into a new era of care.

We will be charting the progress of the Friends' fund-raising, telling the stories of families who have benefited from Dr Gray's care and who know the importance of a haven of peace, but also some fun, too. And we will also be telling the stories of the people coming to their aid.

These are tough times economically and we have all been tightening our purse strings, but the people of Moray know a good cause and are prepared to support it through a wondrous and imaginative range of fund-raising.

This is for the good of our children, for the good of our community – we are sure you will support it.

Employment opportunities

WELCOME news on the jobs front this week, with a call centre at Forres announcing an extra 100 places to be filled, another 125 to be created at Baxters following the acquisition of pie-makers Fray Bentos, and 23 jobs saved, with already another two added, through a management buyout of AC Yule.

Forres has received a real boost following the bombshell of the RAF withdrawal from Kinloss. As well as the call centre success, a health diagnostics firm is locating there with the creation of 30 high quality jobs, and more than 900 Army personnel and their families will be moving into the air base next summer under the first arrivals of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support). And Forres people are also involved in generating their own spirit of enterprise to help the business base diversify.

Moray has a handful of world famous companies providing a backbone to the local economy, and Baxters is one of these. Their latest multi-million pound deal will see the Fray Bentos canned pie production line move from East Anglia to Fochabers in the next year, and there are plans to invest and develop the brand into wider markets.

Moray has much to be proud of, there is good news amid the bad at this point in time, and we all have a part to play by supporting our local businesses and helping keep our ain folk in jobs.