Sgoil Lionacelit raises £1,250 for medical scanner

Over the years it has been a custom at Sgoil Lionacleit, Uist to organise a retiring collection after the Christmas Assembly with the proceeds going to a local charity.

It was decided that the money collected at the Christmas 2015 Assembly should go towards the fundraising for Accuvein Scanners; fundraising which was started by the late Iain Morrison of Barvas, Isle of Lewis with a view to providing an Accuvein Scanner for every area in the Western Isles.

Sadly, Iain did not see his dream realised, but when his close family intimated that they were eager to bring his wishes to fruition, various communities set about fundraising and it now appears that Iain’s wishes have become a reality!

An Accuvein Scanner is a small, portable machine which is used to find a vein when people are required to give blood samples or have a drip inserted.

Some people find these procedures difficult and uncomfortable. The Accuvein machine is hugely beneficial to such people.

The hand-held machine helps the clinician find a vein more easily and this results in fewer bruises and much less discomfort for the patient.

It can be used to help anyone from small children to the elderly.

These machines cost in the region of £3,500 each and the fact that Iain, in spite of his own illness at the time, started to fundraise for one of these for each area in the Western Isles is an indication of the big heartedness of the man.

Sgoil Lionacleit took the opportunity to help this fundraising by, not only donating the proceeds of the Christmas Assembly to the fund, but by donating the proceeds of its annual Christmas Concert to the fund too.

In addition to the feast of entertainment at the concert the audience was able to partake of tea, coffee and a feast of home-baking at half-time in exchange for donations towards the Accuvein Fund.

As always, the generosity of people was outstanding and humbling.

Further funds were raised when pupils purchased the photographs taken of them in all their finery at the annual dance held at the school on Wednesday 16th December.

The organisers of these activities wish to thank everyone who helped to raise an amazing £1,250 in ten days and as always we acknowledge and sincerely thank the community for the support given to the school and its events.