CHARITIES
 
 

 DO YOU KNOW OF A CAUSE THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THE NEXT HIGHLAND CROSS?

If you know of a charity project which intends to provide benefit to health or social causes in the North of Scotland, please download an application form - see below.

Please remember that Highland Cross can only provide capital funds and cannot support revenue or staff costs.  Applications must be with Highland Cross by 31 October.

Applications undergo an initial screening.  If successful at that stage, applications to be one of the principal charities will have the opportunity to present their case to a selection panel in Inverness.

Charities are chosen by an independent Charity Selection Panel of three members who are quite separate from the Organising Committee.  The Selection Panel interview the charities that apply for the support and inform the Organisers of the nominated causes.  The Organising Committee do not select the charities as a number of the Organisers are professionally involved with charity work in the Highlands.

Applications for smaller amounts of assistance should also be made by 31 October each year, and if surplus funds are available from that year’s event, a distribution may be able to be made thereafter.  Whether charities are looking for funding for a small project, or to be a major beneficiary, applications can be made by writing or e-mailing Highland Cross.

Alternatively, a copy of the application form can be requested from the organisers, and the completed form should be sent with the required supporting documents to Highland Cross Organisers, Redwood, 19 Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 4AA.

Click here for an application form.

 

THE FOLLOWING ARE STATEMENTS FROM CHARITIES BENEFITING FROM HIGHLAND CROSS 2010 FUNDRAISING

BIRCHWOOD HIGHLAND

 
Birchwood Highland exists to improve the quality of life for people in the Highlands with mental health issues and complex needs by promoting their recovery, inclusion and independence.

 
In 2007/2008 we modernised our former Care Home into the Highland’s first mental health recovery centre, supporting up to 23 individuals at anyone time. Our focus is on recovery and intensive rehabilitation, helping people to regain their confidence and self-esteem and to re-learn key living and social skills to enable them to move on to their own homes.

 
We provide long-term support and offer short-term respite to prevent individuals’ mental ill health from deteriorating to the point where they may require a hospital admission.

 
The environment in which we live is extremely important to all of us, in terms of morale and feelings of self-worth and has a huge impact on individuals at the Recovery Centre. Following our previous modernisation programme, which created additional self contained flats, studios and improved public areas, we now need to focus on our 9 single rooms, which we would like to upgrade to the same standard, but are in real need of help with capital funds to do this and to create a new shower room.

 
Birchwood Highland Recovery Centre benefits increasing numbers of people from across the Highlands at really difficult times in their lives. A donation to help improve these facilities would make a substantial difference to so many vulnerable individuals, improving their quality of stay and mental well-being.
 

THE SEAGULL TRUST

 

The Seagull Trust was formed in 1978. Our aim is to provide specially adapted canal boats for disabled people of all ages and to take them for free cruises on Scottish canals. There is medical recognition that such outings can have therapeutic calming effects on some disabled people.

The Trust has 4 branches. In 2006 the organisation became Seagull Trust Cruises, we were awarded the Queens Reward for Volunteer Services in 2007, and in 2008 The Princess Royal became our Patron. The Highland Branch was formed in 1987 and operates on the Caledonian Canal between Caley Marina and Dochgarroch. Our current boat was built in 1975, was converted for our use in 1988, and renamed the Highland Seagull.

The Highland Branch operates two cruises a day on Mondays to Fridays from April to September, carrying 12 passengers (up to 4 can be in wheelchairs). All work and operations are, wherever possible, carried out by volunteers. During 2009 we carried a record 1,732 disabled or elderly passengers from the Highlands, 177 in wheelchairs.

Our boat is now 34 years old. Since its conversion, safety standards have risen, and working parts regularly require replacement. The costs of this are burdensome, and it has become uneconomic to further upgrade our boat to conform to new standards. To cater for our aim, it would be more cost-effective to commission a new boat to serve for a further 30 years.

 

 CHEST, HEART & STROKE SCOTLAND

 

Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland is an independent Scottish Charity totally dependant on support from the public, community organisations, business and others to fund its activities.

The charity aim is to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland affected by chest, heart and stroke illness through research, advice, information and community support.

Community support is fundamental in rural regions such as the Highlands; the charity’s Volunteer Stroke Service (VSS) provides support services for people affected by stroke across the Highlands who risk social isolation as a result of their stroke.  VSS staff support those affected by stroke by working on communication goals, leisure and employment activities. VSS staff support patients in their communities and set up local groups allowing members to meet for communication support, social interaction and information sharing. In Highland there are currently 13 VSS groups stretching from Thurso to Aviemore and Isle of Skye to Alness.

Highland VSS groups and members rely on dedicated minibus transport to attend meetings and specific group activities; the minibus must be modified for wheelchair users and those with mobility problems.

Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland are seeking to replace one of the current VSS Highland minibuses which are approaching the end of their serviceable life. The beneficiaries are those affected by stroke illness living across Highland Region needing continued support to improve their quality of life.

 

LOCHLEVEN COMMUNITY MINIBUS

 

We have since 1996 successfully operated a flexible community wheelchair accessible minibus service. Our area of operation is South Lochaber, primarily the villages of Kinlochleven, Glencoe, Ballachulish, Kentallen, Duror and Onich. All our drivers and escorts being volunteers from within the community and surrounding area.

We are used by a wide variety of groups within the community and the disabled access enables us to work with the Local Health Nurses and the Community Car Scheme, both of which involve carrying to various destinations the elderly, infirm, disabled, and lonely people, making it possible for them to access events and activities and socialise within their community thereby improving their quality of life. We fill a gap within our community and carry people for whom the public sector is not suitable, and allow them to participate in things we all take for granted.

In almost fourteen years of running our project, we have successfully attracted grant funding to help finance it when required, and see no reason why this arrangement should not continue. Working from our office within the Community Centre, we are at the heart of our community, fully committed to servicing the needs of its diverse groups and organisations which in most cases rely on the availability of our minibus to function.

The replacement of our existing minibus, which has become unreliable and very expensive to maintain, costing £5,500 over the last three years would allow us to continue to offer this flexible and vital service for the foreseeable future.