In this issue:
- Where heartbreak meets hope | A peaceful haven for parents at NHS Fife neonatal
- Young People’s Resilience project | Taking care outdoors
- Lifestyle Medicine | Staff wellbeing programme
- Large Grants awarded 2024/5
- Small Grant update: Spring 2025
- Micro Grants update: Spring 2025
- Meet the team
- Our supporter and donation stories
- Message from our Charity Director
- Support us
Our successes | Grant-making stories
With the help of Fife Health Charity, the NHS Fife neonatal unit has upgraded parent facilities with the needs of the parents of the most vulnerable babies born in Fife in mind. These tiny newborns, some born up to 12 weeks early, require constant care and monitoring. Often their parents stay in the unit in order to care for them and make those important early bonds and it was clear to all that the facilities for overnight stays were tired at best.
The decision to improve the parent facilities came from valuable feedback from parents using the neonatal service. They identified the need for a less clinical space and for an improved sleeping environment. The neonatal unit staff recognised that exhausted and emotionally drained parents needed a tranquil, well-equipped environment, a home from home to welcome their special newborns and thus an application to the Fife Health Charity was made.
A matter of months later, the newly renovated rooms are unrecognisable. They have been equipped with comfortable double beds, high-quality bedroom furniture, premium reclining breastfeeding chairs, and wall-mounted televisions. Additionally, lighting and a mural has been thoughtfully installed to provide a warm and comforting ambiance, a far cry from a clinical ward space. Fold down camp beds have been replaced with double fold down beds which not only allow both parents to stay with their baby, but importantly also save space.
The premium reclining breastfeeding chairs have been equally well received. Mothers use these for important skin-to-skin contact cuddles between breastfeeding mother and baby and can be reclined for optimum comfort, allowing baby to relax and stay close to mum for as long as they want.
The calming wall mural created by a local artist completes the peaceful retreat for parents and family members away from the activity and alarms of the busy ward. The rooms have been aptly named Blossom and Sunflower.
Bearing in mind that some parents will have extended stays in this unit, it is fair to say that this room needs to serve not only as a functional space but as a sanctuary for parents; a calm, light-filled retreat to be close to their little one, sharing precious moments when it matters most. With the addition of the Blossom and Sunflower rooms, we believe that, with the help of the Fife Health Charity support the Neonatal Unit has successfully met and exceeded this brief.
The room had a shower, and there was another room nearby with a kettle and microwave. We appreciated these luxuries and they helped to keep us sane.
Moving into the parent facilities with my baby helped to establish breastfeeding.
Young People’s Resilience project | Taking care outdoors
Improving people's mental wellbeing and Improving support for Children and Young People are two key areas we want to support through our grants. We are really pleased to share how our funding is helping the Fife Specialist Palliative Care Service to do just that.
The loss of a family member or someone close to us is just about as difficult as it gets. For children and young people who are adjusting to impending adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it, losing a parent or close relative is often devastating. Fife Health Charity is funding the ‘Young People’s Resilience in Bereavement’ project, which seeks to provide support for teenagers and young adults experiencing such a loss.
The Fife Specialist Palliative Care Service provides care for many people in their final months and weeks of life. However, the care the team provides isn’t simply limited to the patient but also provides wraparound support for their loved ones too, helping them prepare for the loss and providing ongoing care in the days and weeks afterwards.
This is a project with roots back in the years of the Covid pandemic. The Children and Families team within the Fife Palliative Care Service realised that because of the Covid-related restrictions in place, they needed to find a new way of supporting teenagers and young people. In response to these challenges, the service developed an outdoor support group designed to help teenagers cope with the loss of a parent or close relative due to advanced disease.
Delivered in Falkland Estate in Fife, the project aims to provide a therapeutic space for young people to build resilience, understand their emotions, and create social connections with other young people coping with similar experiences. This pioneering initiative has proved a great success with the young people involved really benefiting from the peer support and simply being outdoors in nature.
The Children and Young people’s team aim with the project is to provide its young participants with the tools and the support to navigate their way through the loss and become more resilient in the process. The outdoor setting provides a unique opportunity to connect with peers who have experienced a similar loss, fostering a sense of community and support.
Fife Health Charity played a vital role in supporting this work allowing the programme not only to continue but to go from strength-to-strength to support young people experiencing what is often their first bereavement. Since the start of the project, Fife Health Charity has provided funding of over £2,000 to support this work and we feel that this project perfectly illustrates the difference that, together with our supporters and colleagues across NHS Fife, the charity can make in supporting young people towards a healthier future in Fife.
Falkland woodland shelter
Falkland hammocks
The teen group for me was a really good way to meet people who were in the same kind of situation as me - I think just being around other people who know what losing a parent is like is really good because it makes you aware of the fact that you’re not the only one experiencing losing someone.
Lifestyle Medicine | Staff wellbeing programme
We all lead increasingly busy lives and while we may have some idea about what is and isn't healthy, it isn't always easy to put it into practice. We could all do with help from time to time to learn about the changes we can make in our everyday lives to be healthier and improve our wellbeing.
Healthy habits
Lifestyle Medicine offers a practical approach to making simple, impactful lifestyle changes that enhance physical and mental wellbeing.
Lifestyle Medicine is about supporting people to make these changes and feel empowered to take control of their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Grounded in scientific evidence Lifestyle Medicine provides simple ideas and advice that can be easily built into people’s daily routines, helping to enhance the overall quality of their lives.
Lifestyle Medicine focuses on six key areas:
• Eating well
• Physical activity
• Improving sleep
• Managing stress
• Healthy relationships
• Avoiding risky substances
Whilst health and social care staff are focussed on caring for and improving the lives of others, our staff can sometimes put their own wellbeing on a backburner.
It was in response to this situation, that Fife Health Charity has provided funding to support staff across NHS Fife learn more about Lifestyle Medicine and the key role it can play in their own lives. It also helps staff to see how Lifestyle Medicine can be applied to support people in the wider community across Fife.
Dr Hannah Dakin, a member of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine and a Fife GP with over 28 years’ experience, has played a central role in this work, and has established a dedicated Lifestyle Medicine staff group available to all healthcare professionals in NHS Fife. Staff are benefitting from resources which explore each of the six key areas in more detail, with practical advice and insights.
Thanks to the support of Fife Health Charity and our donors, this work around Lifestyle Medicine is helping staff to kick-start their own journey towards a healthier more balanced lifestyle which we know will benefit them, their families and the patients of NHS Fife.
Dr Dakin said: “I have seen firsthand how challenging it can be for individuals to prioritise their health and wellbeing amidst the demands of work and daily life. Lifestyle Medicine offers a practical approach to making simple, impactful lifestyle changes that enhance physical and mental wellbeing.
“With the support of Fife Health Charity we are empowering staff with the tools and knowledge to improve their own health and wellbeing, and look at how these principles can be used to benefit patients and communities across Fife.”
Meet the team | Our new Fife Health Charity colleagues
Mark McGeachie, Charity Director and colleagues Ian Penman, Charity Finance Manager and Elaine Dodds Charity Support Officer were delighted to welcome earlier this year, new team members Karen Wright and Alice Walker both of whom share their vision and hopes for the Fife Health Charity below.
Left to right Mark, Elaine, Karen, Ian, Alice
Alice Wilson | Fundraising Manager, Fife Health Charity
Why Fife Health Charity?
A seasoned fundraiser, Alice Wilson joins the team from Sight Scotland. She is excited to bring her knowledge of fundraising in health charities to this role. When asked about her motivation to join Fife Health Charity, Alice shared that one of her main reasons was the fact that Fife Health Charity supports not only NHS staff and patients but also various community groups throughout Fife. ‘It is very exciting that the money raised in Fife stays in Fife. I can’t wait to help build a brighter and healthier future for everyone in Fife, with the help of our donors’ she says.
Alice’s vision for the charity
Describing herself as very much a people person, the highlights in her first 3 months have been meeting with our amazing donors, fundraisers and NHS staff and hearing their inspiring stories. She is excited by the opportunity to kick-start active fundraising for the charity and can’t wait to get to know our supporters. Alice is also excited to help raise awareness of Fife Health Charity and what they do to benefit everyone one in Fife. Alice admits she has been ‘blown away’ by some of the stories of the impact of the charity’s funding on the people of Fife.
Alice at home
Alice loves being outdoors in beautiful Fife. When she’s not busy developing fundraising ideas or identifying opportunities to establish local partnerships, Alice might be spotted taking care of her rescue horses Starlight and Smudge. She also loves walking along St Andrews beach with her dog, Rowan, and occasionally treating herself to a visit to Jannetta's for ice cream after.
If you would like to make a difference and support Fife Health Charity, please get in touch with Alice at fife.healthcharity@nhs.scot.
Karen Wright | Grants Manager, Fife Health Charity
Why Fife Health Charity?
As an experienced health service manager, Karen retired from Community Care Services in October 2024 following a 37 year career within NHS Fife and Tayside. Karen will be a familiar face to many and was keen to continue working on a part-time basis where her knowledge, experience and connections could be put to best use to support grant applications to Fife Health Charity.
Karen’s vision for the charity
Having worked with Fife Health Charity in her previous role submitting grant applications, Karen was keen to share this knowledge and experience to support future applicants to be creative, innovative and visionary to deliver the Charity’s strategic plan. Recognising that the grant application is only part of the process, Karen is looking forward to working with her colleagues to gather information to showcase key achievements, outcomes, impact and learning. Later this year, feedback will be shared on the Community Grant’s Programme focusing on support for children and young people’s mental wellbeing which is the first time that Fife Health Charity has engaged in community grant-making independently. Karen is excited to share the impacts from this programme with a wider audience in due course.
Karen at home
Like Alice, Karen also has a love for the outdoors, whether this be working in the garden or walking her three dogs, Fudge, Rolo and Stanley in the woods. Karen also loves spending times with her nieces and nephews and planning their next holiday. Hoping this year for better weather so that they can go camping and see more of the gorgeous Scottish scenery. Since retiring, Karen has more time to spend socialising with friends and to date has resisted their encouragement to go swimming in the Firth of Forth.
If you would like to find out more about applying for a grant from Fife Health Charity, please get in touch with Karen at fife.healthcharity@nhs.scot.
Our grants programme | Update
Large Grants awarded 2025
This year Fife Health Charity has awarded 4 large grants, which are substantial awards of over £10,000. So far, with the help of our supporters, we have funded four special "cuddle beds" for patients receiving palliative care in a community hospital setting. Also known as SNOW beds these larger beds enable people who are receiving palliative care to share a hospital bed safely with their loved ones to improve comfort and emotional support families have told us is so important in an end-of-life setting.
Award: £73,400
Fife Health Charity have also supported the expansion of the Values-Based Reflective Practice Programme within NHS Fife. This programme of work will benefit NHS Fife staff wellbeing and enable learning about what works, also focusing on the sustainability of this programme in Fife on a long-term basis.
Award: £40,800
Community Grants
We are delighted to share that we have funded a range of exciting projects across Fife supporting children and young people through the first year of our Community Grants programme. This programme has been developed with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of people across Fife by supporting community-based projects that improve mental wellbeing. 10 grants were awarded in January 2025 and we expect to be able to share the results, reactions and full reports with our supporters this time next year, so keep watching this space! Through these grants, children and young people are benefitting from accessing:-
- Befriending sessions and group activities
- Arts, crafts, outdoor games and nature activities
- Sensory room
- Kitbags - mental wellbeing resources for schools, youth groups and families
- Youth cafe and youth work activities
- Developing young sports leaders and physical activities
Award: £49,216
Small Grant update: Spring 2025
As with our larger grant awards, our small grants are used to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Fife. We've supported many projects in the past year in areas that may not normally attract funding. These are bespoke projects, wide in range and remit and all address a need or lack usually identified by staff members or public.
Micro Grants update: Spring 2025
In addition to our Small Grants programme, we also run our Micro Grants programme. Awards given under this programme have a value of up to £1,000 but in reality, most awards are much smaller. The impact of such awards can often be overlooked as the grant amounts involved are much smaller and the projects often less visible. We’d like to celebrate some of these here, both to illustrate the kind of projects that might be covered by a micro grant, and to illustrate how receiving unrestricted donations, whatever the size, can help the charity to benefit many different areas across the community in Fife.
Our supporters | Donation stories
Below we share the stories behind some of our most recent donations and find out how they came about. The charity is incredibly grateful to all our supporters for their outstanding efforts and generosity to others. We know that everything we do is only made possible by their donations.
Group walking over hot coals to benefit others
On March 23 we had a brave group take on a Firewalk to raise funds for Victoria Hospice.
The group consisted of friends and family of Claire Blair who passed away last November whilst under the care of the Hospice. The group wanted to give something back for ‘the exceptional care and a peaceful space’ Claire received at the hospice.
Firewalking is more than just a thrilling challenge; it's a metaphor for overcoming adversity as participants need to find the mental strength to literally walk over hot coals – a challenge that’s definitely paid off this time with the group raising over £4,000 for the hospice service. Their hard-won donation to Fife Health Charity will ensure we can provide ‘extras’ to make those precious last moments with family more comfortable for more of our hospice patients.
Raffle run by the Consultant-led maternity unit
We were excited to have the consultant-led unit within the maternity department at the Victoria Hospital hold a raffle on the 2 April for Fife Health Charity. By raffling generously donated prizes from local businesses, including holiday vouchers, golf games and equipment, afternoon teas, beauty treatments and fun days out, there really was something for everyone.
What’s more they raised £3,715 for the Charity. The monies raised will be used within their department to make their family spaces more comfortable and patient focussed. Plans so far include large format vinyls for the walls, new radios and improved lighting to make the spaces more homely.
Students get behind Fife Health Charity
We were excited to be the chosen charity for The Society for Scottish Public Health (SSPH), a St Andrew’s University Society focused on fundraising for health, recent book and bake sale. We’re told that plans are afoot to hold another one in the coming months too.
We’re so grateful to all our supporters and would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of you; thank you – you are amazing. Remember that your support, however large or small, can enable the charity to be able to fund similar projects in future.
Fundraising | Ordinary people doing extraordinary things
These are just a few donation stories from recent months of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for Fife Health Charity to benefit people across the Kingdom.
Perhaps you too could help us by organising a fundraising event in aid of Fife Health Charity? Don't have time to plan? Then maybe a organised event would work for you. Why not sign up for one of the running events taking place over the next few months?
Calling all runners
Here’s an idea you can run with. Why not take part in a race in aid of Fife Health Charity? Simply choose the event that best fits your location, fitness and preference. Contact Fife.healthcharity@nhs.scot and we’ll do the rest.
- Edinburgh Marathon Festival – 24 & 25 May 2025
- Men & Woman’s 10K Glasgow – 15 June 2025
- Scottish Half & 10K – 17 August 2025
- Men & Woman’s 10K Edinburgh – 21 September 2025
- Supernova Forth Road Bridge – 1 November 2025
If you would like to discuss making a donation you can also contact us at fife.healthcharity@nhs.scot or simply donate by visiting our Justgiving page.
As with many charities, April is a time for both looking back and looking forward. We are in the midst of preparing our annual report and are looking back on the work we have done throughout 2024/25 and it is always a humbling moment. Humbling because we take the chance to reflect on the difference that our grants are making in the lives of the people, staff and communities supported by NHS Fife.
From the patients who are benefiting from improved spaces where they receive their healthcare and treatment, to the staff whose wellbeing is being supported through the programmes we have funded, and the young people in communities across Fife benefiting from taking part in new activities and opportunities, there are so many examples of how our grants – whether small or large – are helping to improve people’s health and wellbeing. It is humbling because we know that this is all only possible by working together with our supporters who donate to our charity and our colleagues across NHS Fife and the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership. Together we are helping to build a brighter, healthier future for the people of Fife.
Whilst it is important to reflect on the difference we are making, time does not stand still, and we are also looking forward to 2025/26 as we enter the second year of our 5-year strategy. Over the coming year we want to build on the successes of 2024/25 and aim to increase the number of grants we make. Last year we awarded over 300 grants and, following changes we made in 2024/25 to how we manage our funds, we are aiming to increase this in the coming year and grow our impact. We will be delivering another round of our community grants programme with a view to supporting people’s mental wellbeing in our communities across Fife and we also hope to launch a new programme to supporting staff training and developing within NHS Fife later in the year.
All of this is only made possible through the generosity of our supporters and with our new focus on fundraising we will be increasing the opportunities for people to support our work, with every penny raised in Fife, staying in Fife to benefit people, NHS staff and communities across the Kingdom.
I want to thank each and everyone of you who have supported Fife Health Charity throughout 2024/25 and I look forward to sharing more with you over the coming year on the difference your support is making here in Fife.
Mark McGeachie, Charity Director
Support us |
Money donated in Fife stays in Fife
Every donation to Fife Health Charity stays in Fife, helping us enhance lives across our communities. From funding vital equipment to supporting local health initiatives, the generosity of our wonderful supporters directly improves the wellbeing of those we care about most.
There are many ways that people can support our charity! You can donate directly with a one-off donation on our Justgiving page where you can also set up a monthly donation. You can also get involved by organising a fundraising event in aid of Fife Health Charity; or by taking part in an event, such as one of the organised local running events to raise funds; or nominating Fife Health Charity as ‘charity of the year’ in a local business. If you would like to discuss making a donation you can also contact us at fife.healthcharity@nhs.scot – we’d be delighted to hear from you!
