Families were treated to some music on the same weekend as the TRNSMT festival
Families who were unable to attend a major music festival were treated to their own live performances this weekend.
To coincide with TRNSMT Festival, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) teamed up with Scottish bands and Scottish Gas to bring a virtual music event to the homes of families this past weekend.
Especially recorded performances by MacMuse, The Scottish Pink Floyd, Billy Sinclair and Blackmore Blood were streamed as those attending adorned their customary bucket hats, took part in craft sessions, pop quizzes and got into the festival spirit. Supplies to enhance the event were delivered by Scottish Gas to families all over the country as part of an ongoing partnership.
Valerie Lockhart, activities facilitator at Rachel House, Kinross, said: “With festivals getting underway again we wanted to bring the party to our families, who often miss out on these events in the real world.
“The support that the Scottish Gas team have shown to CHAS over the past year and a half has been outstanding and despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic, they have helped our virtual events go from strength to strength by making supply runs of care packages and goodies to families.”
CHAS is the only charity in Scotland that provides hospice services for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. The national charity offers palliative care and respite for the whole family via its two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch. The CHAS at Home service supports families in their own homes across the whole of Scotland and has teams working in communities and hospitals across the country.
Like many other charities left reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, CHAS has had to dramatically transform the way in which it provides its increasingly important services. They have set up Scotland’s first ever virtual hospice to support children and families who are having to completely self-isolate.
The virtual hospice has now been operational for 16 months, offering families extensive assistance, whether it relates to clinical guidance, financial advice or bereavement support, by video and phone. CHAS family support teams are also offering an expanding range of interactive activities, art clubs, storytelling and conference calls to children and parents, with more in the pipeline.
Although safeguarding is very much in place as lockdown measures continue to ease, children needing urgent physical and end of life care are welcomed at both Rachel and Robin House, where staff continue to work tirelessly to provide palliative assistance to them and their families in a comfortable environment.
