Moray man raises more than £5000 for The Archie Foundation with North Coast 500 journey in classic truck
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A GRANGE man has gone the extra mile to raise more than £5000 for a charity that did 'fantastic work' after his granddaughter's premature birth.
Livestock driver Charley Lockhart, who has stayed in Grange for 12 years, drove the North Coast 500 in an old Scania 143 truck at the weekend to raise funds for The Archie Foundation’s Baird Family Hospital Appeal.
It is the third fundraiser he has done for The Archie Foundation – after an auction in Grange raised £12,500 and a stall at the Keith Show raised £4000.
Charley has been inspired to raise funds for the charity after the support they provided his daughter Shelly and her partner Craig after their baby girl Rosie – who turned two yesterday – was born prematurely.
Rosie, who now lives in Keith with her mum and dad, spent the first 46 nights of her life in the neonatal unit at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. Thanks to the Archie Foundation, her parents were able to stay with her.
"The service the Archie Foundation provided was amazing," Charley said. "Travelling back and forward from Keith to Aberdeen would have been a nightmare.
"It's a fantastic thing that the charity do and I've seen that first hand. I'm over the moon with what I've done and I can feel happy with myself.
"My daughter is super proud. She knows what Rosie means to me. The little one is a wee character and if it wasn't for the foundation then maybe we wouldn't have her.
"We are giving this money to help the next set of parents that go through what we went through, and then hopefully they will realise the importance of the charity and do the same."
The weekend's fundraiser was called Rosie's Road Run. It began in Dingwall and saw Charley complete the NC 500 with his friend Brian Christie, as well as his boss Colin Roger and wife Fiona.
The quartet left Ian S. Roger's Yard at 6am on Saturday morning and returned at 4pm on Sunday. The challenge itself began in Dingwall, with Charley and Brian driving the Scania 143 and Colin and Fiona following in a support vehicle.
A total of 277 miles were driven on the Saturday, before the group returned the following day. Supporters were there to cheer the fundraisers on at the start and finish line.
Charley described the support and amount raised as "mind-blowing", with sponsors paying for fuel and tyre cover for the weekend.
He thanked his wife Jackie and boss Colin for their support with all three fundraisers, and Karen Sutherland for covering the event on social media.
"Colin has been a big help and inspiration to me," he added. "I've not done this on my own – it's been with the help of him and his family.
"I have promised my wife that that is it now – at least for this year!"
Paula Cormack, chief executive of The Archie Foundation, said: “I never fail to be blown away by the lengths people will go to support The Archie Foundation.
“It is almost two years since Rosie spent time in the neonatal unit and since her parents received support from our team.
"That they still feel inspired to raise funds and awareness for us shows the depth of connection they have with The Archie Foundation and the impact the support and services we were able to provide had on their lives.
"The funds will help us to provide vital finishing touches and additional specialist equipment which will take The Baird Family Hospital from being a clinically state of the art hospital to a world-class facility."
To date, The Archie Foundation has raised in excess of £1 million for the Baird Family Hospital Appeal. The goal is to raise £2 million to deliver the difference at the new hospital, which is currently under construction on the Foresterhill site.
To donate to the fundraiser visit www.justgiving.com/page/karen-sutherland-1693895972952
