On August 22, 2018 The Lord Provost of Aberdeen held a Civic Reception to celebrate the work and achievements of Marie Curie staff, volunteers and supporters in Aberdeen and the wider Grampian area.
The Lord Provost, Cllr Barney Crockett, opened the event and was followed by Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine (former Minister for Mental Health, and Public Health), Jane Collins CEO Marie Curie. Allison Diamond then spoke, whose dad, Ted, was cared for at home by Marie Curie Nurse Alma Ainslie-Davies.
In Aberdeen City, around 1,600 people each year die with a palliative care need, and around 1,850 people in Aberdeenshire. Marie Curie provides specialist palliative care, but general palliative care can also be a part of many health and social care professionals' jobs, such as GPs and community nurses. Marie Curie services are commissioned through health and social care partnerships and procured through NHS Boards. Throughout NHS Grampian in 2017/18, our 50 nurses provided care and support for 1,505 people across 6,274 community nursing visits to people’s homes.
Marie Curie is partially funded by statutory partners. However, we need to raise £15 million a year to support our services in Scotland. Our 97 volunteers in the NHS Grampian area supported Marie Curie by raising awareness and funds to help support these services. We have 11 fundraising groups in the area, including Aberdeen City, Buchan, Deveron and District, Ellon and District, Fraserburgh and District, Garioch, Huntly, Mearns, Mid Deeside, Robert Gordon University, and Upper Deeside. Our trained Helper service volunteers also supported people in their homes offering companionship and support.
Our Information and Support services also help in a range of ways, from providing clear, useful information about living with a terminal illness to expert nursing care in people’s homes. People can call our support line free on 0800 090 2309, chat online with us or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/help.
The event was a great success, with around 75 people from across Grampian attended including MSPs, MPs, councillors, Marie Curie volunteers and staff, valued Marie Curie supporters, partners across local authorities, local businesses and the third sector.
The event also celebrated the launch of #TeamJackie, a regular giving campaign at Aberdeen Train Station hoping to enlist 600 direct debit supporters. The Lord Provost met Jackie Smith, the face of the campaign, and her fellow Marie Curie nurses Ann-Marie Craig, Fiona Davidson and Liza Moir. He also met volunteers and fund raisers from all across North-east Scotland.
