Five Lewis charities have benefitted by a total of £9500 thanks to the generosity of customers and staff of the Criterion Bar in Stornoway.
Bethesda Hospice, Hebridean Men's Cancer Support Group, Stornoway RNLI, Macmillan Cancer Relief as well as Crossroads Lewis enthusiastically expressed their appreciation for the gift and thanked the pub’s patrons for thinking of them.
Cash built up over the past few years from proceeds of the tavern’s weekly bonus ball game during landlady Effie Macleod’s tenure was split across the good causes.
Staff used the cheque presentation to mark her recent retiral.
Customer feedback was sought over the groups to receive a cheque said new licensee, Elsie Anderson.
“We asked those who regularly buy a bonus ball what charity they would like the money to go to. The ones chosen were the popular choice,” she added.
Joanne Ferguson of Bethesda said: “This is really appreciated. We are very grateful to staff and customers at the Criterion Bar for thinking of Bethesda.
“The money is very important for Bethesda as the hospice is kept running by donations. We need to raise almost £400,000 a year to keep it going and every single penny is a massive help.”
As a volunteer organisation the RNLI relies on donations from the wider public.
Keeping the service going is “not possible” without fundraising said lifeboat crew member, John Macleod. Money raised locally is kept on the island for the running of Stornoway lifeboat.
Don Maclean of the Hebridean Men's Cancer Support Group said: "This is a very generous donation which will be used to help men affected by cancer and their families in the Western Isles."
The donation to Macmillan Cancer Support will be used locally to help people affected by cancer such as through the Macmillan nursing team, benefits advice as well as supporting Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative and Macmillan’s national programmes.
Thrilled to receive £1000 was Crossroads Lewis which currently supports around 70 carers and service users on a regular basis. They provide home support to carers regardless of age, disability or illness and to those living alone, struggling with ill-
They aim to prevent carers becoming ill through exhaustion by giving them a break while providing the care they normally give including palliative cases. Those living alone are given companionship, helped to avoid isolation and encouraged in independence -
Lewis charities welcome cash boost from Stornoway pub
19 December 2022