A record number of fundraisers are to take part in the Aberdeen Kiltwalk in aid of children’s charity The Archie Foundation this weekend, including two mums supported when their babies were born prematurely.
More than 200 supporters have signed up to don a kilt on Sunday (June 7) and get walking.
Participants can choose between two routes – the 18-mile Mighty Stride from Banchory to Aberdeen’s Duthie Park, or the shorter four-mile Wee Wander, which starts in Cults.
Last year’s Aberdeen Kiltwalk saw a record-breaking 6,000 people take part and raise funds for local causes, with a total of £1.2million raised for more than 500 charities.
Collectively known as the ITUB OGs, Judith Bowman and Clare Crawford are determined to raise as much as possible for Archie to mark their babies’ first birthdays.
Clare and her family received support after the birth of her daughter Millie.
“When Millie was born unexpectedly at 29 weeks, The Archie Foundation supported us by providing accommodation for me, my husband Andrew and older daughter Isla in Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. We live in Thurso, over 200 miles from Aberdeen, so the accommodation was essential for the three of us to be together and stay close to Millie,” she said.
“We stayed there for 61 nights before Millie was transferred to Raigmore. The transfer happened so quickly there was no time to arrange accommodation in Inverness so the Archie Foundation arranged and paid for a hotel until the team at Raigmore could arrange patient accommodation for us.
“The Archie Foundation gave Millie her first toys and books before she’d met any of our friends and family, and they brought Lego, Barbies, fidget toys and craft supplies for Isla too. Their volunteers helped to arrange for Isla to attend a holiday club in Aberdeen and even offered to babysit so she could get a reprieve while we met with Millie’s doctors.
“They have volunteers and a counsellor who visits the unit to talk to parents twice a week and they even gave us a trolley pound for the lockers in the unit - they’d thought of everything.
“Our girls were so cared for and knowing we had somewhere to stay, some food and something for Isla to do took some pressure off the stressful days in the neonatal unit. The Archie Foundation also gave Millie’s nurses a notebook they used to start a journal for her and it’s a precious record of all the tests, treatments and milestones from our time with Millie.”
After Millie sadly passed away, Archie has continued to support her big sister with books about sibling bereavement for children, hand knitted toys and support sessions to help her cope at school.
“Having people around us with an insight into what we were going through was invaluable. Most babies arrived on the unit, stayed for a few days, then their families would take them home,” said Clare.
“We knew that wasn’t going to be the path for us and were so grateful to befriend two other families experiencing the same heartache of seeing other babies come and go, the fear of an invite to the quiet room, the confusion of conflicting opinions and the uncertainty for the future. The ITUB OGs have been through such a lot and Archie has supported us all in different ways.
“The Archie team knew what we needed when we didn’t and having that support helped us survive the worst of times. We’ll never be able to repay what they’ve given us, but we know first-hand how vital this charity and their services are so we want to make a contribution to help them continue their crucial work.”
Judith also received support when her son Ferris was born prematurely in June 2025.
“When our Ferris was born much too early, our world stood still. From his birth in June through December 2025, he had to stay in the hospital in Aberdeen, which was also far from our home, and fought one complication after another,” she said.
“During that incredibly difficult period, with many medical problems and the months-long stay in the hospital, The Archie Foundation was there for us, alongside the support of the nurses. They not only provided us with facilities but also ensured extra care and support that made a world of difference for us in giving Ferris the best possible start under incredibly difficult circumstances.”
Now baby Ferris is at home at last, his mum wants to give back.
Judith continued: “I want to give something back to a charity that has meant so much to us. I am walking to raise money so that other parents and their brave little ones in Aberdeen receive the same support when their world is turned upside down.”
Archie Kiltwalkers will be supported by staff and volunteers from the charity as they set off from the start at Bellfield Park in Banchory and cross the finish line at Duthie Park.
The Archie Foundation was set up in 2000 to support babies, children and their families across the north of Scotland, during a hospital stay or bereavement.
The charity has funded specialist roles and projects at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and, more recently, at the Highland Children’s Unit in Inverness, Tayside Children’s Hospital in Dundee and Dr Gray’s Hospital, Elgin.
Visit www.archie.org/getsupport/ for more information about the practical, financial and emotional support available from The Archie Foundation. To donate to the ITUC OGs, visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/itubogs