Aldi Scotland’s hugely popular Supermarket Sweep has returned for another year and customers in Edinburgh have the chance to raise as much money as possible for a local foodbank of their choosing.
Guaranteed to be the most fun anyone can have while doing the weekly shop, Edinburgh residents have the opportunity to pick up their favourite items from Aldi’s store in the Hermiston Gait Retail Park.
Launched in 2016, Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep gives shoppers the chance to do a five-minute trolley dash and take home all the Aldi favourites they can grab in that time, with Aldi donating the cash value of the trolley to a local foodbank.
The lucky shopper also has a chance to double this cash donation and take home a SpecialBuy item of their choice* if they successfully find a hidden inflatable in-store.
Edinburgh residents can apply for the Supermarket Sweep from Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th May.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “The Supermarket Sweep is an event in the Aldi calendar that we all look forward to. We are so pleased to be bringing the initiative back for another year and offer one lucky Edinburgh resident the chance to have a shopping experience like no other.
“Foodbanks across Scotland have worked tirelessly over the last two years to help those who need their services the most. Last year we donated almost £9,000 to foodbanks through Supermarket Sweep and we want to build on this in 2022.
“From St Andrews to Inverness and Cumnock to Dundee, our Supermarket Sweeps will be taking place across the country. Not only are they a fun way to raise as much money as we can for local foodbanks, but they also give our loyal customers the opportunity to stock up on their favourite Aldi products.”
Shoppers will be asked to nominate their chosen foodbank when applying to take part. Entrants must be over 18 years old to take part, and alcohol products are not included in the sweep.
Entry is free and customers can apply in-store or by emailing:
Celebrity chef and food writer Ching He Huang MBE is supporting Mary’s Meals this Mother’s Day
Ching He Huang MBE is just one of the famous faces featured in a special Mother’s Day recipe book which has been created in support of Mary’s Meals.
The celebrity chef and food writer has donated a recipe for her mum’s golden sticky rice cabbage ‘money bag’ parcels to the school feeding charity. It features in an online cookbook, alongside Judy Murray’s mum’s traditional shortbread recipe, and Nadiya Hussain’s mum’s Bengali chicken korma recipe.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than two million children every school day in 20 of the world’s poorest countries, including South Sudan, Ethiopia and Malawi. The promise of a good meal attracts children into the classroom, giving them the energy and opportunity to learn, and the chance of a brighter future.
Ching He Huang says: “My mum’s presence can often be felt in my cooking. Whenever I use sticky glutinous rice it always reminds me of mum – she always says if you eat sticky rice you will always stick with your family.
“I am proud to join Mary’s Meals in celebrating the important role of mothers across the world, delivering food, joy and hope to children living in the world’s poorest communities.”
The charity is offering a range of lovely Mother’s Day gifts, starting from just £15.90, that will feed a hungry child every school day for a full year. Each gift includes access to the online recipe book – featuring Ching’s recipe and more.
In the countries where Mary’s Meals serves its life-changing meals, it is most often mothers who volunteer to prepare and cook the food. They do this so that their children, and children living in their communities, can have the chance of a better life. Here in Scotland, many mothers volunteer their time to raise funds for the charity and raise awareness of its work.
Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement, says: “Mums really do make Mary’s Meals! Without the support of the amazing mums, grandmothers and aunts who volunteer for Mary’s Meals, we simply wouldn’t be able to feed over two million children every school day.
“We are delighted to have Ching’s support for our Mother’s Day campaign, which celebrates the love and work that is involved in preparing and serving Mary’s Meals to children living in the world’s poorest countries.”
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped small handful of coriander, finely chopped
For the ‘money bag’ parcels
6 whole savoy cabbage leaves
6 garlic chives or onion chives
To garnish
micro shiso
micro coriander
edible flowers
Method
Put the rice in a saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the stock and bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
Turn the rice out on to a tray and cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Once cool, add 1 tbsp sesame oil to stop the rice from sticking together when it’s added to the wok.
Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage leaves. Prepare a saucepan of hot water and a bowl of iced water. Blanch the cabbage leaves in the hot water until tender (less than a minute), then rinse, drain, plunge into the iced water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.
Place a wok over a high heat until smoking, and add the rapeseed oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for 3 seconds, then add the carrot and turmeric and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds.
Add the tofu, broccoli and mushrooms and toss for a further 10 seconds. Now add the rice and start to break it down, but don’t stab at it and make it claggy.
Season with the tamari or light soy sauce and rice vinegar, pouring them evenly across the rice, followed by 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Stir-fry for 2 minutes to mix the flavours. The rice should be quite ‘clean’ and golden in colour. Sprinkle over the spring onion and coriander.
To create the ‘money bags’, spoon some of the rice mixture into one of the cabbage leaves. Use a chive to tie it into a money bag shape. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and rice, garnish with the micro herbs and flowers and serve immediately.
‘The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer’ is back with new kitchenware in Cancer Research UK shops
BAKERS from Edinburgh and the Lothians are being urged to grab their mixing bowls and whip up some cash, as ‘The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer’ returns to Channel 4 tomorrow (March 22).
Everyone from baking beginners to patisserie pros are being asked to don their aprons in aid of Stand Up To Cancer, the joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
Getting started is a piece of cake with a free fundraising kit to download full of tips, recipes and ideas for getting friends and family involved in raising some serious dough for life-saving research.
Fans of the show can also support the cause with striking new Star Baker themed kitchenware available from Cancer Research UK shops in Edinburgh and the Lothians or online, as well as via retailer Next.co.uk.*
The range features everything foodies and fundraisers need to create their signature bakes in style including an apron, oven gloves, a trio of tea towels and a mug.
In Scotland, around 32,200 people are diagnosed with cancer a year.**
Stand Up To Cancer aims to get new cancer tests and treatments to people who need them the most. Since its launch in 2012, the campaign has raised more than £93 million to fund 59 clinical trials and research projects across the UK.
These include the development of new treatments that use viruses to fight cancer, clinical trials testing potentially more effective ways to deliver radiotherapy and improved surgical techniques for bowel cancer.
Linda Summerhayes, Cancer Research UK spokesperson in Scotland, said: “One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime***, but all of us can play a part to help beat it. That’s why we need people across Edinburgh and the Lothians to help us turn up the heat on this devastating disease.
“We hope these special episodes for Stand Up To Cancer will encourage viewers to host their own baking fundraiser. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t a whizz in the kitchen, you can look the part with our new Star Baker range. The most important thing is raising money to help speed up research and save lives. Every last crumb will make a difference.”
The celebrity contestants putting their skills to the test in the Bake Off tent and hoping to inspire some show-stopping fundraising results include Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah; singer-songwriter Example; singer-songwriter and UN Environment Ambassador Ellie Goulding; TV presenters Sophie Morgan and Emma Willis; actor, Blake Harrison; comedian, writer and TV presenter Ruby Wax and judge, presenter and dancer Motsi Mabuse.
‘The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer’ will return for five special episodes on Channel 4 on Tuesdays at 8pm, from March 22.
A Help for Heroes virtual book club, which was launched in North Wales, has now gone nationwide as the Charity looks to engage further – and in different ways – with veterans across the country.
And organisers are particularly keen to recruit new members from the Edinburgh area.
The club was the brainchild of the Armed Forces charity’s Project Case Manager, Sarah Hattle, whose role is to tackle loneliness and isolation among veterans in Mid- and North Wales. She also hosts the event, which is encouraging participants to make connections with each other beyond, merely, their shared military service.
The club was quick to receive the patronage of one veteran for whom books have taken on a new meaning post-service.
Former Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander-turned-author, Mike Klidjian, donated 10 copies of his first novel, Bluestreak, to the group and joined a session in February to discuss it with participants.
SarahHattle said: “It’s great that Mike attended because it meant a lively discussion and helped people to engage more easily with the characters.
“The virtual book club concept is ideal for veterans as they are spread nationwide, and this is something they can do online across any distance. It provides a catalyst for group work where they can engage with like-minded people and make new friends in a relaxed atmosphere.
“It has been proven connections are far more likely to be meaningful if there is a shared interest, rather than just a group based on demographics. If the only commonality in the group was just their military service, it is less likely people will connect meaningfully. People attending the group will have – or will gain – an interest in books and reading, and I’m hopeful this will spark friendships beyond the bounds of the group.
“And, whatever the book and topic under discussion, just the regular interaction is both beneficial and enjoyable for all.”
Hattle has already lined up further authors to participate, as they offer their support to the Charity’s efforts to get veterans to engage further.
The next author to attend a session will be Welsh writer Rebecca F John, who will discuss her novel The Empty Greatcoat, a fictionalised account of a British soldier’s experiences during WWI, inspired by the journals of her great-great uncle.
Help for Heroes believes those who serve our country deserve support when they’re wounded. Every day, men and women have to leave their career in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds.
The Charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 26,500 people and won’t stop until every wounded veteran gets the support they deserve.
The book club meets three times a month with the next scheduled meeting on 7 March.
Secondary breast cancer charity Make 2nds Count has a million reasons to mark the occasion after reaching a phenomenal fundraising milestone.
Hitting the £1 million mark is bringing hope to those living with the forgotten form of cancer through financing vital research at universities across the UK and providing much-needed support for patients and families.
The disease – also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer – is an incurable cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It can be treated but, on average, there are around 35,000 patients in the UK living with secondary breast cancer and the death toll here is a shocking 1000 women a month.
Make 2nds Count founder Lisa Fleming, 38, of Edinburgh, set up the charity in 2018 and says:“Reaching our £1million fundraising milestone is just the most exciting start to what we predict will be another productive year for us.
“And while we look forward to achieving so much more, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us reach that phenomenal million-pound total. Our supporters really do provide a lifeline and without them we would be unable to make the progress we have accomplished in raising awareness of this disease, in funding dedicated research and in facilitating projects like access to patient trials. Every contribution and donation are enormously appreciated.”
The £1million milestone was reached thanks to activities including an Inaugural Gala Ball at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House Hotel and £500,000 from individual fundraisers who took part in events from abseiling off the Forth Rail Bridge to skydiving, trekking the Arctic, running 12 marathons in 12 days and walking 500 miles.
The UK-wide charity focuses on patients and families of women and men living with secondary breast cancer and among its biggest achievements has been donating £270,000 in research funds to the Universities of Edinburgh, Warwick, Liverpool and Sussex.
It also launched the Patient Trial Advocate Service, in partnership with NHS Lothian, last year which has already helped 65 patients gain vital information about clinical trials.
Other initiatives supported by the fundraising include: the first 2nds Together Wellbeing Retreats giving patients a much-needed relaxing break from treatments; a virtual Wellbeing Week with sessions led by industry experts; and littlelifts boxes, packed full of mood-boosting goodies and practical products to support women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
One of those to benefit is Make 2nds Count patient champion Tricia. She says: “I don’t know how I would have coped without Make 2nds Count and the support services I have been able to access.
“There is nothing like it where I live in the Scottish Highlands. The Tea and A Chat has been a lifesaver for me – being able to talk to others who ‘get it’ is so important.
“And the Wellbeing Week gave me a much-needed boost, so much fun and very informative. It’s difficult put into words what the retreat meant to me. To meet in person others I’ve only met on zoom was incredible. The love and support I felt from the group were inspiring.”
Lisa set up Make 2nds Count after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. She had had no primary diagnosis, warning signs or lump when she was told the disease had already spread to the majority of her bones. It swiftly spread to her brain and she continues to live with the disease – knowing it is also a death sentence.
Donations to help the charity provide more support, education and research funds come from a variety of sources including individual and corporate fundraising, legacies, the Make 2nds Count Lottery and the annual Make Christmas Count campaign.
School feeding charity Mary’s Meals asked 2,000 people across the UK who they would most like to cook Christmas dinner for them.
Almost half chose a family member over a celebrity chef, with the majority choosing their mum.
In the Scotland dads got the thumbs down in the festive kitchen!
Mary’s Meals is asking people to help feed hungry children by joining its virtual Christmas dinner.
A new survey by Mary’s Meals has revealed that people would rather have their Christmas dinner cooked by their mum than a celebrity chef.
The global school feeding charity asked 2,000 people who they would prefer to serve up their festive feast. It found that:
Almost half (46%) of respondents chose a family member rather than a famous chef – such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson.
One in three people (36%) said they would prefer their mum to cook their Christmas dinner over other family members.
Just 1% of respondents in Scotland said they would like their dad to prepare the Christmas dinner!
Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean responds: “Despite being a professional chef myself, I’m not surprised most people chose their mum to make their Christmas dinner. Us chefs are all well and good but nothing beats a home-cooked festive feast.”
“I love the idea of Mary’s Meals Big Family Christmas – and I’m going to set a place for my late father-in-law Davie, who would love that their virtual seat at the table will feed a hungry child in school for an entire year.”
Mary’s Meals serves more than two million children with a nutritious meal every school day in 19 of the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi, South Sudan and Haiti. The promise of a good meal attracts children to the classroom, giving them the energy and opportunity to learn, and the chance of a brighter future.
Each December the charity holds a virtual Christmas dinner, Big Family Christmas, to raise funds to feed even more hungry children. Last year, nearly 9,000 people around the world took part in the fundraiser.
Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “Tis the season to be jolly, and it seems nothing makes us jollier than a home-cooked Christmas meal. At Mary’s Meals, we want to spread that joy to as many of the world’s most impoverished children as possible.
“Setting a place at our virtual table is a great way to give a truly life-changing gift, especially as each place set this Christmas will feed two children for an entire year thanks to our Double The Love campaign. I look forward to seeing as many names at the table as possible as we celebrate our Big Family Christmas!”
In return for a donation of just £15.90, enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, people can take part in the Big Family Christmas. Donors will receive a certificate to print at home and their name, or the name of a loved one, will appear on the charity’s virtual dinner table alongside names from across the world.
Donations made to Mary’s Meals before 31 January 2022 will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.6 million, thanks to the Double The Love campaign, meaning that each place set at the online Christmas table will feed two hungry children.
Mary’s Meals typically serves a mug of porridge to more than one million children in Malawi every school day.
This includes children like 14-year-old Yasimini, who is one of five girls. Her two older sisters were married young, but Yasimini was able to continue with her studies because of Mary’s Meals.
She says: “I work very hard in class so I can fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse. I don’t want to end up getting married early like my sisters.
“Mary’s Meals is very important because when I am attending classes I am strong and attentive and I can pay attention to what the teacher is teaching. This will help me to do well in my studies.”
At the end of November, registered charity HorseBack UK was hit hard by Storm Arwen. Dozens of trees came down around the county pulling powerlines with them, leaving the charity without power, light, heat, hot water, or phone connection for six days.
Founders Emma and Jock Hutchison were cast back into the pre-electric age, in a freezing house, with a herd of thirty-three horses to look after.
Fortunately, the Hutchisons are pretty tough. One was a Royal Marine and the other served in the police force. They tend not to complain. But even Emma, usually one of the most stoical people you could meet, said that her sense of humour was wearing pretty thin.
Storm Arwen could not have come at a worse time. After 18months of pandemic and not being able to deliver the work the charity is known for, it was just getting back on its feet.
Emma, Jock and the team had re-started delivering their life changing courses to veterans and vulnerable young people, especially those suffering with mental health challenges – many of whom had had a particularly tough lockdown.
A huge amount of work had been done on logistics and installing strict safety protocols and, of course, course sizes had been reduced, limiting the number of people the team could work with and help.
However, there was light at the end of the tunnel and the entire team, including the 33 horses were back to doing what they love. Until Storm Arwen roared in and stopped the charity in its tracks once again.
Not only did it pull down power lines it also damaged buildings and in particular field shelters for the horses. With winter here it is imperative the horses have shelter from the cold, wet winds of northern Scotland.
Co-founder Emma Hutchison explained: “After a tough 18 months we were thoroughly enjoying getting back to work, so to be thwarted again really tested our resilience. The storm has done a lot of damage and we desperately need to repair or replace the field shelters for the horses.
“The herd is pretty tough and can cope with quite a lot but the relentless rain and wind we get can wear them down and have a negative impact on their health. And when it snows, they really do need a place to shelter.
“These horses are part of our family and we are pulling out all the stops to get them the shelter they need as fast as possible. We desperately need donations to help pay for the materials to build and repair the shelters.”
The arrival of Arwen has also shown Emma that storms can take many forms, and that contingencies need to be put in place.
Emma added: “We realised we need to build a Storm Fund, to keep us going when the unexpected strikes. We get no government or council funding, so we are completely reliant on donations. It is the generosity of the public which enables us to do our work.
“If we could gather a new fund, it would help us to do additional practical things, like build new field shelters for the horses to protect them against wind and weather, and invest in a generator to keep the lights on. But it would also act as a bulwark against unheralded events, like pandemics or shifts in the economy.
“We want to make sure that Horseback UK can rely on the sturdiest foundations. Whatever the literal or metaphorical weather, we need to be able to go on helping veterans with life-changing injuries, as well as the young people we work with in the local community. We want to ensure that our future is stable, however unstable the external world can sometimes seem. And that is our next, dedicated mission.”
To find out more about Horseback UK and to donate to support their work and the rebuilding of the field shelters visit:
Sisters Sophie and Emma Thompson are backing a new campaign, Double The Love, which will help Mary’s Meals to feed even more hungry children living in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Donations made to the charity this winter will be doubled by a group of generous supporters – with up to £1.6 million available to provide nutritious meals at school, attracting children into the classroom and giving them the energy to learn.
Long-time Mary’s Meals supporter, actor Sophie Thompson, celebrated the launch of the campaign with her sister and fellow actor, Emma Thompson.
Sophie says: “Emma and I were marvelling about how Mary’s Meals provides food at school for children living in the most desperate circumstances, encouraging them to gain an education that will, in the future, help them out of poverty.
“We are delighted to announce that donations made to this awesome charity this winter will be doubled – meaning even more little ones will receive a daily serving of Mary’s Meals.”
Mary’s Meals was founded in a shed in Argyll in 2002 and has grown from feeding 200 children in Malawi to more than two million children every school day in 19 countries around the world.
Emma adds: “Our mother is Scottish, and Argyll is a very special place for our family. I am overjoyed that a charity founded there is changing the lives of children in some of the world’s poorest countries. It truly is an incredible achievement.
“Double The Love presents a wonderful opportunity for us all to get behind Mary’s Meals and show children living in the world’s poorest countries that we care.”
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, says: “I am so grateful to Sophie and Emma for backing our Double The Love campaign. What a brilliant sister act they are!
“I hope people will donate to Mary’s Meals this winter so that we can access all of the £1.6 million of match funding that is available to us. These funds really will change the lives of children facing the most difficult circumstances, including natural disasters, conflict, and the ongoing Covid pandemic.”
The Double The Love campaign runs until 31 January 2022.
Sibongile, 13, and Sarah,10, live in a farming village in Zambia, almost 8,000 miles away from Sophie and Emma’s homes in London.
These sisters look very alike – but Sibongile is outgoing and laughs a lot, and her younger sister is very quietly spoken.
They face many struggles, such as a two-hour walk to school. Sibongile only has black pumps that are too big for her and Sarah wears rubber sandals. In November the area usually floods, making the journey even more difficult.
But both walk to school knowing that they can soon fill their stomachs with a nutritious serving of Mary’s Meals, which will help them to concentrate on their lessons.
Sibongile says: “I eat my porridge at 11am. If there’s no leftover food from the night before that will be the first time I eat.”
AN EDINBURGH-based financial services recruitment firm has enlisted some four-legged volunteers to help reduce stress and increase activity amongst its staff while raising money for charity.
The 22 strong team at Core-Asset Consulting will be walking 100km for MacMillan Cancer Support throughout the month of November with the help of the team’s various office dogs.
Kicking off during International Stress Awareness Week at the beginning of November, the fundraising initiative will run throughout the month, encouraging staff to take short walking breaks from their desk with one of the eight canines who regularly frequent the office.
Coinciding with the recent introduction of a Friday morning canine running club, the walking challenge is hoped to boost morale, decrease stress and encourage healthy habits amongst staff.
Rachael O’Neill, Associate Director of Investment Operations and owner of one of the dogs taking part, Luca, said: “Stress can have a massive impact on mental wellbeing and one of the best ways to combat it is through exercise.
“We already have a regular running club on a Friday morning – wanted to encourage everyone to move more and take regular breaks from their desks throughout the week.
“Staff can take part as little or as often as they like and can walk for as long as they like too. Each distance will be added to an overall tally so it will be a real team effort.
“Our office is dog friendly and a lot of staff take advantage of this. We have Loki, Atlas, Pluto, Shadow, Ruby, Maggie and Cookie as well as my dog Luca. While they’re not all in at once, on any given day you’ll find at least one or more wandering about the office!
“Luca is in every day and Pluto is in most regularly. They both take part in our Friday running club and are loving the attention and the extra walks.
“Luca is very much a lockdown pup so the extra socialising has been great for her. It’s such a weight off not having the pressure of leaving her at home or finding a dog sitter too.”
In addition to the walking challenge, Rachael has been providing staff with stress balls, dedicated stress awareness podcasts and Ted Talks to help her colleagues manage their stress effectively.
Core-Asset Consulting is Scotland’s pre-eminent recruitment and headhunting agency dedicated to financial and professional services.
Formed in 2005, it was born out of Betsy’s desire to take the best of her experience of large corporate recruiters, applying the focus on infrastructure and training to a more sector-specialised business.
Based in Edinburgh, the £14m firm employs 22 people and works across the entire financial services sector, from the smallest boutiques to the biggest global players.
Initially the firm carved its reputation in Scotland’s globally-renowned asset management sector. However, the success of its model allowed it to expand across the wider financial services market. It now boasts dedicated accounting, investment operations and finance teams and also works in Scotland’s thriving legal sector.
Thousands of children in Zambia now have better access to safe surgery with the opening of six new paediatric Operating Rooms courtesy of global health charity Kids Operating Room (KidsOR).
KidsOR, a Scottish global charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi, works to ensure that all children around the world have access to safe surgery. The charity also funds training of paediatric surgeons and anaesthesia providers, and estimates that more than 43,000 children have accessed life-changing or life-saving care via one of the 35 Operating Rooms they have installed since 2018.
The six new Operating Rooms in Zambia are located at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), in Lusaka, and in Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADCH), in Ndola, with each hospital hosting three separate Operating Rooms.
The Scottish Government provided £45,000 of funding to assist with the refurbishment, re-equipping and retraining of staff at the paediatric surgical facilities at UTH.
David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “I am proud that KidsOR has installed and equipped six Operating Rooms across the two hospitals. This is our largest project in a single country at the one time, and will ensure that surgeons have the right equipment to save thousands of children’s lives for years to come.
“With around 45 per cent of Zambia’s population being children, this is a country that will particularly benefit from these facilities.”
KidsOR collated data on surgical cases in the past 24 months at UTH so that it could track the difference made once the Operating Room was installed.
The charity identified that in the past two years, almost one in five of the operations that went ahead did so without the necessary surgical equipment and 40 per cent went ahead missing the necessary anaesthetic equipment.
These issues will be rectified as soon as surgeons start using the newly installed Operating Rooms to treat children.
Mr Cunningham added: “This latest project forms an important part of the KidsOR ‘Africa to 2030’ plan which will see us create 120 centres of excellence across Sub-Sahara Africa, each with world-class, state-of-the-art dedicated Operating Rooms for children.
“We aim to ensure that every child can access safe surgery when they need it.”
Dr Bruce Bvulani, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at University Teaching Hospital, said: “The renovations and re-equipping of the theatre suite is not only timely but also momentous.
“These new Operating Rooms will put a smile not only on the faces of the children but the surgeons as they use their new wares in a refurbished centre. On behalf of the children of Zambia, we are truly grateful to KidsOR, and we promise to make full use of the equipment for the betterment of the children.”
Senior Medical Superintendent and Consultant Paediatrician at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, Dr Mwansa J Kaunda, also extended his gratitude. He added: “There will be an increased capacity and ability to care for more paediatric patients considering the hospital serves the northern part of the country. This means expanded services and more treatment options at the hospital, hence improved quality of health for children.
“What’s more, the new equipment and set up of theatre will improve efficiency in procedures, reduce the risk of post-operative wound infections. I am so excited as I never imagined that our Operating Room could look so nice. The last time it got a touch up was in 1978 and we have recently had to carry out operations using a phone torch light rather than proper operating lamp.”
International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government’s investment in this project will help benefit thousands of children who require life-changing and life-saving care.
“As well as contributing to the new paediatric Operating Rooms, our support will also enhance the skills and knowledge of the surgical teams that carry out these vital procedures. We are proud to work with KidsOR on a project that will change the lives of children and their families and strengthen the capacity and resilience of the health care system in Zambia.”
Africa has the greatest unmet surgical need in the world. Half of Africa’s population (1.3 billion) are children. It is also estimated that 85 per cent of children in Africa will require some kind of surgical care by the age of 15.
Two of the six Operating Rooms in Zambia have been achieved courtesy of KidsOR’s partnership with cleft-focused organisation Smile Train.
