If this is your first visit to this site; Well, we've beaten our target but please don't think that future donations are unwanted.  We still would much rather you donate to the below charity.

We'd really rather you didn't buy us wedding presents or give us any money.  However, if you still wish to mark the occasion we have set up this donation website in aid of a very worthy local charity.

The Ronald McDonald House at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow is a far more deserving recipient of gifts than we are.

The Ronald McDonald House has provided a home from home for over 500 families every year since opening in 1996.  Each day families needing accommodation are referred to the House by the hospital.  The families come from all over Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England.  Most of their children are seriously ill and many will require to be in hospital for very lengthy periods - often many months.  Priority is given to families who live a long distance from Glasgow - and to those anticipating long stays.

Families' first concern is the health of their child but consideration has also to be given to the practicalities of their time away from home.

Where can they stay?

Can they be very close to the hospital in case they are urgently needed?

Can brothers and sisters stay too?

And most of all how are they going to finance all this?

All of these worries are removed for families who stay in the House as they provide their service completely free of charge.  They offer a warm welcome and a comfortable caring environment away from - but very close to - the hospital, where families can be together, relax, and feel at home for however long is required.

The main House has 26 family rooms, and parents - who are in similar situations - get real support and understanding from each other in a way that may be more difficult for family and friends at home to offer.  The en suite rooms are comforatbly furnished and have their own telephone giving a direct link to the relevant ward, thus enablilng parents to be in contact with the hospital day and night. 

Due to ever increasing demand for accommodation they have over the past few years purchased a number of two bedroom flats adjacent to the main House.  These flats can either be shared by two couples or used to accommodate larger familes whose stay in Glasgow may run to many months.  They also use one flat for short term accommodation for local Glasgow families whose children are in intensive care.

The House is a small independent charity, receiving no statutory funding and is totally reliant on the generosity of individuals and groups large and small whose donations and fundraising events help to raise the sum of £300,000 annually required to cover all their running costs.  They operate with a very small staff, helped by a number of dedicated volunteers, and is open every day of the year.

So, as you can see, this House is a much more deserving recipient of your gifts than we are.  We were reluctant to put a fundraising target on this page as we do not wish anyone to feel pressured into donating.  However, on learning that the average department store gift list totals £1,800 we felt that a £500 target wasn't too presumptious.  Please do not feel you have to donate.  However, if you do not wish to give please don't buy us a present instead!

If you would like to donate to the Ronald McDonald House, Yorkhill, please be assured that donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you very much for reading this far, and remember....no presents!

Liz & Iain