Organised by Crossbasket HouseJoin our community of 'virtual bucket shakers'! Have you worked from home during Covid-19? Have you saved money on your daily coffee/lunch/commute? Drop your loose change in the bucket - by pressing donate!... Thank you, have a 'virtual sticker' :)
We are Ronald McDonald House Glasgow and opened our doors to families for the first time in 1996. We are funded purely by donations and other fundraising activities - like this Virtual Bucket Shake!
When a child is seriously ill in hospital, they need their family by their side. However, if they become critically ill, they could be transferred to Glasgow via helicopter or ambulance for life-saving treatment and end up very far from home.
We were bundled into a ScotSTAR ambulance [to make] our way to Glasgow. I just remember crying, that's all I could do. I was sure we were losing our boy - Chanelle Anderson
Based on the campus of the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, we improve the quality of life of sick children by ensuring they have their parents or carers by their side. We give parents a free 'home from home' just a few minutes walk from the hospital, so they can stay close to their child at a desperate time.
Understandably, parents do not want to leave their childs side, yet stress and lack of sleep or privacy can seriously affect their health and ability to look after their child. By giving them a base, we support the whole family at a very difficult time.
Families with a sick child in hospital can often face unexpected extra expenses. The impact on family life can be devastating, forcing them into debt as families struggle to stay by the childs bedside while also trying to pay bills, cover huge travel costs, meet their mortgage or rent requirements, stay in employment or even pay for additional care for other siblings while such a great distance away.
Sick children benefit greatly by having their parents by their side, especially when so far from home. They may be scared, surrounded by people they dont know, with new smells, sounds and uncomfortable or difficult procedures. For premature babies and new-borns, hearing their parents voices brings reassurance, encourages proper bonding and can improve recovery times. Having a parent, relative or carer close by is a vital part of their recovery and well being.
We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and our costs include providing linen and laundry, pillows and duvets, kitchen and cooking essentials, washing powders and cleaning products for families, heating and lighting, housekeeping and maintaining our kitchen, lounge and bedroom facilities.
Our facilities include private en-suite bedrooms, shared laundry facilities, a library, quiet lounge, large garden and parking. The large shared kitchen has a soft play area for small children allowing parents to safely cook family meals while siblings play. Crucially, every bedroom has a phone that is linked directly to the Ward, so parents can call or be called to the hospital at a moments notice, no matter what time of day or night.
We have been privileged to have supported over 500 families a year since 1996 - that's over 11,000 families. Originally based close to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill, we moved to our current site following the construction of the Royal Hospital for Children in Govan.
Can't thank you enough when our wee boy was in for nearly six weeks at the hospital, we are from Fort William and I don't know what we would have done. We had nowhere else to stay. - Rhona Anne MacLeod
Please donate what you can today. Your generosity keeps the doors to the House Open. Please join us to help worried parents focus on the one thing that truly matters their child and help seriously ill children keep their families by their side.
Charities pay a small fee for our service. Learn more about fees
