The Special Care Baby Unit at Noble’s Hospital has benefited by a further ?1,000 as a result of the latest fund raising efforts by RBS International staff member Derek Ferguson.

Derek – Resource Officer in the Bank’s operations team at Howard Pearson House – has now raised around ?17,500 for the Neo-natal Unit in the past ten years.  His involvement began when grandson Conor was born ten weeks premature, weighing just 3 lbs 5 ozs. 

However, thanks to the expertise of the Unit’s staff he pulled through and Derek resolved to show his gratitude by raising money to help its continued work for premature and very ill babies.

Conor, now a pupil at Murray’s Road School in Douglas, accompanied his grandfather to Noble’s Hospital where they handed over the cheque to Staff Nurse Sophia Gideon.  Approximately ?500 of the total came thanks to the good offices of Flybe UK who donated a voucher for a pair of complimentary tickets for use on any of its routes.  These were raffled at an RBS International staff event.

The remainder was raised via Derek’s expertise in writing and preparing charity presentation cheques for use in newspaper and magazine pictures.  He carries out this service for a number of local organisations but makes no charge, asking instead that they make a donation to the Special Care Baby Unit.

Despite the large sums already raised by him, Derek has no intention of calling it a day.  He said: ‘I have to thank everyone who has helped me support the tremendous work of the Neo-natal Unit over the past ten years and I have more plans in the pipeline for further fundraising activities.   I never set out to raise ?20,000 but as that figure approaches I suppose it would be a nice target at which to aim.’

Picture caption.  Left to right: Derek Ferguson, Conor Gavin and Sophia Gideon.