Heather’s Heroes has donated two vehicles to Highland Hospice to support their patient care and income generation. One is a Ford Grand Tourneo adapted to be a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for bringing patients to and from the Hospice for outpatient support. The second is a Ford Transit van for transporting donated goods around the Hospice’s network of 16 charity shops.
Heather’s Heroes was founded in memory of Heather Dallas, a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend to so many. Heather died in the care of the Hospice early in 2024, and her husband and family established Heather’s Heroes to support palliative care and other charities across the Highlands and the UK. Heather’s Heroes recently raised over £300,000 from their trio of fundraising events, including an NC500 cycle, tractor run challenge and a family fun day at the Black Isle Showground.
Andrew Leaver, Head of Income and Development at Highland Hospice said ‘We are so grateful to everyone involved in Heather’s Heroes for this fantastic support. Having the wheelchair vehicle means we can bring people to and from the Hospice for outpatient care in comfort and privacy, and with dignity. The support they receive from our Rehabilitation and Wellbeing Team is vital in allowing people to be independent and remain at home for as long as possible during their illness.’
‘The new van for our retail activity means we can keep goods moving around our shops, ensuring they have the best opportunity to sell and generate income for the Hospice. This is particularly important with the opening of our new discount store on Academy Street and our plans to open in Ullapool later in the year.’
Highland Hospice needs to raise over £6m every year to provide its care and support services across the region. Around half of this income is now produced from its charity shops and associated retail activity.
Allan Dallas of Heather’s Heroes said ‘The care and support the Hospice team provided Heather and our whole family was exceptional. We are so glad to be able to give something back to the Hospice and contribute towards the continuation of support to families when they need it most’.
Heather’s Heroes raises money through hosting its own fundraising events, independent fundraising campaigns and challenges, and further contributions from local and national businesses. The money fundraised is distributed to a network of local charities, with a particular focus on palliative care, with every penny raised in the Highlands given back to the Highlands.
