Aurrida – dressed for success!

Staff from Aurrida House were dressed for success during a fundraiser at the weekend, which has raised almost £2,500 - five times their original target of £500!

The sun shone on Saturday as the group of around 35 staff, children and young people and their families donned an array of costumes for the sponsored walk and run at the Pickaquoy Centre track to raise funds for the Aurrida Comfort Fund.

There was a lady bird, butterfly, bees, Pink Ladies, Sherlock Holmes, Spider Man, Rapunzel, Elsa from Frozen, Cruella Deville, a cute dalmatian puppy, a werewolf and a family of flower power hippies!

A huge thanks is extended by the Aurrida staff to the spectators who turned up to encourage the participants, those who have donated to the fundraiser bringing the total so far to just over £2,400, with more to come, Grays Wholesalers who gifted bottled water, sweeties, ice cream and fruit, the Pickaquoy Centre for the use of the track and Kairds who donated some balloons. Special mention goes to Marjory Hamilton (Wake and Watch Social Care Worker) who actually ran for two hours, clocking up 9.5 miles.

One of the organisers, Sarah Muir, a Senior Social Care Worker at Aurrida, said: “We are extremely chuffed and so grateful to all those that took park and donated. We plan on purchasing some new sensory toys and some outdoor toys for the children and young people to enjoy.

“The money will also be used to take the young people out on trips, for picnics and swimming activities, the cinema, and I think a trip to Shapinsay is being planned by a keyworker as we speak.

“We also use the Comfort Fund to purchase Birthday and Christmas presents. We recently had a leaving “chippy tea” party for a young person moving onto adult services and this was financed by the fund.”

Aurrida House is a respite care facility in Kirkwall for children and young people with additional support needs.