Petrofac staff raise £25,000 for Aberdeen neo-natal charity

Staff at Petrofac have raised £25,000 this year in support of Friends of the Special Nursery - the charity of Aberdeen Maternity Hospital’s neo-natal unit for premature and sick babies - with another year of fundraising effort still ahead of them.

This year Petrofac teams and departments have been raising money for their ‘Charity of the Year’ (actually a two year partnership) through a variety of activities, including bake sales; a sponsored climb to the summit of Bennachie with a twist - carrying Aberdonian wheelchair athlete Kenny Herriot to the top; fundraising at the ‘Enchanted Castle’ at Crathes; and forgoing Christmas cards to instead donate the money towards the fundraising total, as well as donations made at Petrofac’s Christmas party.

Kim Kane, Payroll Manager, Petrofac Offshore Projects & Operations, said: “My son Joshua was born five and a half weeks premature and was rushed straight to the ICU Unit with breathing complications. It was a scary and emotional time for us but the neo-natal staff were absolutely tremendous and really supportive. It’s great to be now supporting them by helping to raise vital funds that will give other parents hope in a difficult situation.”

Julie Wilson, Treasurer, Friends of the Special Nursery said: “We are so impressed with the amount of proactive fundraising and generosity from Petrofac employees that has led this fantastic amount being raised. The financial support will enable us to purchase essential items from our wish-list so we can continue to support families and give fragile newborns the best possible start in life.”

Petrofac’s fundraising drive aims to buy one item in particular on the charity’s wish-list – a specialist ‘Giraffe’ incubator which combines the benefits of a traditional incubator and a radiant infant warmer, and costs about £33,000.