2024 was a busy year for Mitchell Lamont, who completed six challenges to raise an incredible £2,800! Mitchell’s year of fundraising! By Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraiser
Keeping it in the family
Welcoming home our volunteers By Laura Macpherson
By Laura Macpherson, Volunteer Coordinator
Douglas Robertson’s decision to become a volunteer at the Ayrshire Hospice was truly a family affair. He has been volunteering for over a year with our Living Well Hubs as a volunteer driver, joining other members of his family in giving their time to us.
something we appreciated more than words can describe. My family will be forever grateful to the staff at the Hospice.” Watch out for what he gets up to in 2025 - he isn’t finished yet!
Kicking off the year with the Manchester Marathon, he then took on the Edinburgh Half Marathon, Run the Blades (50K), shaved his head, tackled the River Ayr Way Ultramarathon (65K), and finally rounded off the year with Run the Runway at Prestwick Airport in November! Friends and family were a huge support, with long-time friends Joe and Lewis running alongside him to keep him on track. Adding last year’s total to his epic Great Wall of China Challenge in 2016, Mitchell has now raised an incredible £8,800 for the Hospice .
“The reason I chose to raise money for the Hospice is because they were there for my family when we needed it most. In 2016, when my mum was losing her battle with cancer, she was moved to the Hospice for end-of-life care, and the Hospice did everything they could to make sure that she was well looked after day and night, as well as providing my family accommodation in the Hospice so we could be close by her at all times. Having this facility available gave us the ability to be there for my mum until the very end, and it’s
We recently hosted a ‘Welcome Home’ celebration for our
In his own words, Douglas shares how and why he got into volunteering: “I was retired and looking for something to do to get me out of the house and contribute to a worthy and meaningful cause. I saw the advert for a volunteer driver, and it ticked all the boxes for me. I wanted a role that didn’t have too much responsibility, that I could do on a regular basis but wasn’t too demanding on my time. The Ayrshire Hospice is an excellent organisation—some of my family members have volunteered there in various capacities over the years— so it seemed like a good fit for me. “What makes it so rewarding is knowing you are making a positive difference to someone’s life. My help is always appreciated, and I can see how important the Hubs are. They give people the opportunity to meet their friends and have meaningful social interactions. It’s also nice to be a light in these generally troubled and often dark-feeling days. “What advice would I give new volunteers? I cannot think of a better way to spend a few hours of your time than giving back to people who truly appreciate your
returning volunteers, some of whom have been with us for decades. These volunteers have gifted us with their expertise and skills and are ready to get involved again as we are getting ready to return to Racecourse Road very soon. After a warm introduction and presentation from Ayrshire Hospice Chief Executive Tracy Flynn, our volunteers got the opportunity to reminisce about times gone by and to also look to the future and all the memories yet to be made. Thank you to the Balgarth Pines who generously donated their beautiful function suite as well as tea, coffee and delicious cakes on the day.
contribution. I will continue to volunteer my time to the Ayrshire Hospice and all the sterling work they do.”
Douglas’ experience highlights the impact a volunteer can have on our patients’ lives. If volunteering is something that interests you and you’d like to find out more, please email volunteer@ayrshirehospice. org or visit www.ayrshirehospice. org/volunteer
Should you be interested in volunteering at the Ayrshire Hospice, visit www.ayrshirehospice.org or scan the QR to find out more
April 2025 | EDITION 39
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