For the Community, by the Community
Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, paid a visit to the Duloch branch of the charity shop run by Children's Hospices Across Scotland - better known as CHAS - and gave it a glowing progress report.
The thriving retail outlet, which specialises in clothing, toys, books and music, has taken on a significant place in the hearts of local residents since opening in 2013. Since 1 April 2018, the Duloch branch has seen a turnover of £116,000, thanks in no small part to the volunteer force and a steady stream of donated goods from local households.
Douglas Chapman said: "I have followed CHAS' heartening story with great interest for many years and felt the time was right to nominate it as my chosen charity for 2019. I wanted to see first-hand some of the herculean efforts being made to raise money for the constituents who are supported by its two hospices in Kinross and Balloch, and the CHAS at Home service.
"Having paid this visit, I can see that the volume of incoming donations from the public and the efforts made by the voluntary group that keeps the shop operational are simply phenomenal. Long may it continue! To help highlight the significant place CHAS holds in the community, I will encourage fundraising for their cause in the coming months and would welcome suggestions from constituents." Maria McGill, Chief Executive at CHAS, said: "We were delighted to host Douglas in our Duloch shop today. He has been an influential supporter over the years and we were especially pleased when he renewed that pledge by naming CHAS as one of his chosen charities in December last year.
"In the six years since our Duloch shop opened, we have seen Fifers take it to their hearts in lots of ways - from the diverse group of volunteers involved to the extraordinary volume of donations it receives daily, they are all a crucial part of the CHAS family. All of this feeds directly back in to the work we do for families throughout Dunfermline and all over Scotland."
To get involved in CHAS as a volunteer, whether you'd like to help run one of the Dunfermline shops or represent the charity as an ambassador in your community, the full range of current opportunities can be found online here.
In Scotland, more than 15,000 children and young people live with life-shortening conditions and CHAS is determined to reach every family who needs it. CHAS works across Scotland, able to provide its hospice services nationwide for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions., CHAS offers palliative, respite and end-of-life care from Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.
CHAS at Home supports families with the services of a hospice yet in their own homes across the whole of Scotland and through its Diana Children's Nurses working in hospitals across the country, CHAS supports families and clinical teams.
Pictured above are Jennifer Lindsay (CHAS Duloch Shop), Maria McGill (Chief Executive of CHAS), Douglas Chapman MP and Lesley-Anne Allan (CHAS Duloch Shop).