A champagne piano recital held at Methven Castle to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has raised £13,500, with most of the funds to aid families in conflict zones.
St John Scotland, also celebrating its 75th anniversary, in Perth and Kinross organised the event in May with the donations split between three charities – Rachel House hospice (of CHAS), Order of Malta’s Ukraine aid and refugee effort and St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem.
In welcoming guests to the event, Methven Castle’s David Murdoch asked the audience to think about the plight of those with eye problems in Jerusalem and Palestine and the difficulty of running a hospital in such a conflict zone.
“Then think about how fortunate we are at home, with our families about to be entertained,” he added. “Now think about those faced with broken families, devastation and suffering in the Ukraine.
“It is unimaginable.”
Janice Webster, chairman of St John Scotland Perth and Kinross, said: “It is a real pleasure now to be presenting these cheques from the proceeds of people’s generosity at the event.”
Receiving the presentation cheque from St John Scotland Perth and Kinross on behalf of CHAS was community fundraiser Lyndsay Stobie.
She said: “Our sincere thanks go to St John Scotland’s Perth and Kinross branch for their continued staunch support of Rachel House.
“This contribution could pay for our monthly food bill at the hospice. Thank you once again for making such a wonderful difference.”
In Ukraine, Malteser International has built emergency shelters where displaced people can get hot meals, medical care and psycho-social counselling.
An extensive project for prosthetic care for amputation patients is well underway.
Now Malteser International is preparing for the harsh winter ahead providing distressed families with blankets, solar batteries and warm meals.
Thomas Steuart-Fothringham, a Scotland committee member of the Sovereign Order of Malta, said: “The Order of Malta is very grateful for this generous donation from St John Scotland Perth and Kinross to Malteser International, which is currently very busy in Ukraine.
“It will provide vital supplies to distressed families in Ukraine.
“The sum donated represents food and essential household items for 10 families of four for one month.”
The Order of St John is the only charitable provider of expert eye care in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
The mobile outreach programme covers around 8000 people a year.
Janice Webster continued: “As we celebrate the 75th year of St John Scotland it gives us enormous pleasure to be able to support an older St John institution, the St John Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group now 140 years old.
“Life-changing operations are carried out daily on people of all backgrounds (6500 last year) and a new children’s wing has just been opened.
“The sum raised will go to specialist doctors and nurses, vital operations, consultations and equipment, as this wonderful charitable service continues.”
