Ronald McDonald House Charities. supporting families with sick children in Edinburgh - Lauren Brucker

Lauren is a Canadian and had worked for Ronald McDonald House Charities there for 5 years before moving to Scotland a year ago.

The charity provides free 'home away from home' accommodation for families with children in hospital. It is felt that families in that situation should be allowed to stay near their children. Many of the families who have been helped in this way tell of the difference this has made at a very difficult time.

They operate in 58 countries and have 366 houses worldwide. There are 14 in the UK with a new one being built in Edinburgh which will occupy the top floor of the new Sick Children’s hospital currently being built. It will have 26 bedrooms and a dayroom for families who are not staying. All the houses also have kitchens where meals can be prepared. Lauren showed slides of the insides of some of the houses.

It costs £25 to the charity to allow a family to stay for one night. £300,000 is the operating cost for each house. The charity have many supporters to provide their finance. They also run a number of fund raising events.

In his vote of thanks Ian Kerr told how the child a friend of his had been taken to Glasgow Sick Children’s Hospital for urgent treatment. The family live in Bathgate but had been able to stay in the Glasgow Ronald McDonald House making a great difference to them at this stressful time.