Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 7 – Estonia 27/05/2004

Several members of the Tartan Army, met up with the British Ambassador to Estonia, Nigel Haywood, the Embassy’s press officer, Raimo Poom, and chairwoman of the Childrens’ Hospital Foundation, Inna Kramer.

After taking them to a hospital wing desperately in need of a refit and introducing some gobsmacked children, Inna explained to the children the background of the Sunshine Appeal and the reason behind our visit that day.

She also described how the renovation of the hospital is entirely dependent on funds raised by the Foundation and how the Sunshine Appeal’s donation of 23,398 krooni (£1000) would benefit the refit of the traumatological department and assist in the purchase of a new cytogenetics system. The ambassador and the TASA representative, gave short and humble replies to this, reflecting our awe of the work of the staff and the bravery of the children, and also despair at the conditions and equipment they had to work with.

The head of the hospital, Dr Martenson, then continued the tour of the part of the hospital that was soon to be renovated, before showing us their state-of-the-art neo-natal unit, diagnostics lab, and soolakamber (salt chamber to you and me) which helps patients with respiratory problems.

We can all rest assured that our donation will made a huge difference here.
Full Story Here…

Everywhere We Go!

Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 6 – Denmark 28/04/2004

In April 2004, The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal made a £1000 donation to the Danish Cancer Society which also looks after children suffering from the effects of Cancer.

On the day of the donation 9 foot soldiers arrived at the British embassy just before 5 to some odd looks by the locals. After verifying their identities to the woman on the gates (the Americans next door had marines on the front gate) they were sent into the back garden to congregate with the embassy staff and the children and Director from the Danish Cancer Society.

The Ambassador, Sir Nicholas Browne, started off by welcoming everyone and made a short speech. He then handed over to Dave Johnstone for a speech which he had only been told about at 2.00pm that afternoon! Shortly afterwards, they presented a cheque for 11,000 Danish Kroner to the Director of the society to fund their grieving groups. He also then made a short speech.

The kids who were in attendance were then given some Scotland flags and some Edinburgh Rock to spoil their teas with. All the kids there had lost a relative through cancer.

Everyone congregated back in the bar for an hour or so as the Embassy supplied a free bar and buffet for everyone to honour the occasion. The Embassy had also supplied match tickets for the kids and charity directors, so they left early to get their seats while the TASA party stayed and chatted to the Ambassador and other staff – and obviously have another couple of drinks!  Full Story Here…

Everywhere We Go!

Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 5 – Wales 18/02/2004

Bobath Centre – Cardiff, Wales by Ian Black

Bridie, Big Dave J, Combat, Scottie the Piper, Sunshine on Leith and I met at the supporters’ game ( which we won 5-1 ) and we went off to the Bobath Centre in the Heb Bar bus, for which much thanks to Davie the driver. Scottie played as we marched in and they all seemed awfy pleased to see us.

There weren’t any weans with cerebral palsy at the presentation except a nice wee lad called Keiron, who was there to collect his free ticket for the game from Gol and get his picture taken with them.

There are no resident children. They come in for courses of treatment lasting about an hour or so and then go home.

The Bobath Centre asked for publicity, which they find invaluable and they reckon that the few paras and telly minutes that we got them was worth 15-20 grand to them, which is more than the Sunshine Appeal has donated up to date. They sent out their own press release to get the media to come, as did Gol and as did I on behalf of the Sunshine Appeal. If they had wanted us to hand over the cash “quietly and unobtrusively”, then we would have done so. Give us a bit of credit for sensitivity.

We and the staff picked up the money after throwing it up in the air. Several times, as they kept asking us to do it again. They loved the idea of Scots throwing away money, as did the media. That was the idea. I now freely confess that I have worked in PR.

The presentation was fun. Everybody laughed all the time. The head of the Centre kept jumping up and trying to catch the notes as they fluttered down and she laughed a lot. She told me that they hadn’t had such a good time for ages.

Everybody of our lot (eventually) agreed that it was a good wheeze. The Bobath folk loved it. We made page two in the South Wales Echo. We were also on the Six O’Clock News in Wales.

The staff thought we were great, we thought they were great, and they are doing a great job. We helped them a tiny wee bit with it, that’s all. We got to go away. They got to stay and do the heartwarming (and heartbreaking) stuff. They still need money.

Bridie had captured a documentary maker, Gregor, at the game and brought him and the crew along, so ten out of ten for initiative to him. It looks as if it might be a good docu as well, as I was much impressed with Gregor.

Neil Dymock from Gol was there with his pal Tim and Tim’s son Chester to present the Centre with six tickets to the game, which also went down rather well. Tim had the best line, as one of the staff thought that Bridie, who was wearing his bridie, was dressed as a chicken, and there was some mention of headless chickens. “More like a chickenless head “, said Tim.

We had a tour round the facilities and then left, with Scottie doing us proud as we marched down to the bus through the hospital grounds with people smiling and clapping.

Now a shock confession. None of us have actually seen £1000 thrown up in the air. I got a call early next morning from the Centre. They had counted the money most carefully and only had £900. The balance was still in my jacket. They now have it.

Then it was on to Clwb Ifor Bach (I’m not making this up, and it is spelled correctly) for a bite and a pint before taking the goodie bags, full of the stuff supplied by JimFaeKdy, flags etc. round to Burger King, which we dressed rather well with the bunting etc. I thought the kids loved it, but after spending an hour or so with the them, Louise said: ”I’m getting a hysterectomy in the morning”!

Everywhere We Go!

Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 4 – Netherlands 19/11/2003

Emma’s Children’s Hospital received our 4th donation and it was put towards Sterrewereld, an online community that children in the hospital could sign up to and have their own web space to keep in touch with the friends they had made in the hospital. They could share photos and write blogs on how they were progressing. The childrens’ websites were also available to the outside world and could be used as an inspiration to others in the same boat.
The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal donation had enabled the Sterrewereld website to continue running and help keep up the morale of many more children, through their use of the World Wide Web.  Full Story Here…

Everywhere We Go!

Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 3 – Germany 10/09/2003

Our 3rd donation was made to an organisation called Association for Special Needs of Children and Young Persons in the District of Dortmund-Aplerbeck. The Association ran a mobile 5s court and organises tournaments for children and young people. The objective, to support the integration of foreign young people.

The actual donation took place on the Wednesday afternoon on a stage erected in the centre of Dortmund as a focal point for both sets of fans. It was thought an ideal opportunity to get some Tartan Army kids involved to make the presentation.

In the torrential rain that followed, the presentation of a cheque for £1000 was made to the president of the association. Eventually the pipes started and the kids were piped onto the stage to make the presentations and to swap souvenirs with the local kids.  Full Story Here…

Everywhere We Go!