The Ayrshire Hospice Road to the World Cup Dinner at Ayr Racecourse on Friday 8 May raised over £50,000 while celebrating the Scotland Men’s National Team’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Almost 300 guests enjoyed an excellent evening, including an all-star Scotland vs Rest of the World quiz. Three members of Scotland’s 1998 World Cup squad – John Collins, Darren Jackson and Tosh McKinlay – took on f ormer Dutch internationals Arthur Numan, Michael Mols and Bobby Petta, with quizmaster Jim Delahunt hosting proceedings. The Rest of the World team triumphed on the night, 9–5. As well as the quiz, the panel shared their thoughts on the World Cup and how they viewed Scotland and the Netherlands’ chances in the tournament. Music was provided by up-and-coming artist PG Ciarletta, best known for his unofficial World Cup track, The Saltire’s Back (Ole Ole). A World Cup winner!
The Hyslop Family story It has been ten years since Alan died in the Ayrshire Hospice’s In-Patient Unit (IPU) on 30 January 2016, aged 41, after living with Motor Neurone Disease for two years. A devoted son and brother, Alan
Alan was a “Mammy’s boy” – what boy isn’t! He loved life, and especially his football, which he played three times a week, and he also followed the Tartan Army. He was a quieter character than his sister, but on the football field people always said he was a different person. He could still be a bit crabbit at times but he loved socialising. Alan worked for his dad and brothers on the family farm and loved combining and digging. When he was about three years old, we bought him a miniature combine harvester, tractor and trailer, which he kept at the bottom of the wardrobe in his bedroom. When his dad brought his combine out of the shed for the season, Alan would bring his out of the wardrobe too and fill them with barley. When Lindsay put his combine away again, Alan would put his away too. Even from an early age, he loved combining and working on the digger.
and her husband Scott, wanted to share their experience of how the Hospice supported them all during that time.
was an incredibly popular and well- known figure around Lendalfoot, Colmonell and Girvan. Through the family business as agricultural contractors and shed builders, Alan worked on farms across Ayrshire combining crops and erecting new sheds. A massive football fan, Alan played regularly until his diagnosis. On the day he died, Alan heard his team had scored a late winner that afternoon - bringing one last smile to his face before he died peacefully. After losing a son, brother and brother-in-law, the family have continued to support the Ayrshire Hospice to show their gratitude and appreciation for the care and support that Alan received while he was a patient. Alan’s parents, Elizabeth and Lindsay, along with his sister Lynne
In their own words:
“If it hadn’t been for the Ayrshire Hospice, we would have been lost.” “You have these preconceived notions based on what you think a hospice is. You imagine it’s only where people come to die, that it’s depressing… but that was the thing that struck us most. It’s actually a very happy place. It’s about providing care and support to the patient and their family during the most horrible of times, making them that little bit brighter. Sometimes it takes a really dark time for someone to shine a little light. That really opened our eyes to what a hospice does.
September 2026 | EDITION 42
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