Community / Reaching halfway point could open funding doors for MRI appeal
REACHING the halfway mark could open a number of new funding avenues for Shetland’s MRI scanner appeal, according to its fundraising manager.
Derek Hart said that a number of major UK charitable trusts and foundations often require applicants to have raised 50 per cent of their goal before they can be considered for funding.
At the moment, the Shetland MRI appeal website says the amount raised – over £610,000 – is 37 per cent of the target.
The goal for the appeal is £1.65 million.
“Some of the major UK charitable trusts and foundations, such as The Garfield Weston Foundation, often insist on applicants having raised at least 50 per cent of their fundraising target before submitting a bid,” Hart explained.
“This is to reassure them that the campaign is viable financially from their own reputational point of view.
“There are obviously no guarantees that we would be successful in obtaining funds from such organisations, but by having at least 50 per cent in our pot, it brings them into play for applications.”
Over 600 patients from Shetland travel south to have an MRI scan each year.
MRI diagnostics are used to diagnose and monitor a wide variety of conditions and the number of patients who need them is steadily increasing.
The £610,000 raised so far is thanks to the Shetland community, who have rallied around the cause since the appeal was launched in 2018.
Donations are still coming in from locals who have picked the appeal as their charity of choice.
Susan Burns and Ali Rennie recently donated £1,900 to the MRI scanner appeal to mark the lives of their parents, Tom and Patricia Bulley, who died last year.
The money was collected from generous contributions by family and friends at Patricia’s funeral and through a Facebook birthday fundraiser by Ali.
Over £6,600, meanwhile, was raised thanks David Sandison and the Tennessee Wannabes’ charity gig at the Gulberwick Hall in December.
Among the items sold at an auction at the concert included singer David Sandison’s chest hair – which was bought by someone from “the north”.
A total of £2,000 was also recently given to the appeal from sales of Shaun Simpson’s CD Oldies But Goldies.
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