2024-11-07T12:08:47+00:00

Meet Friends: volunteer and board member Fiona Leslie

Meet Fiona Leslie, a volunteer, member of the board of trustees and the woman sifting through the “support” email inbox for Friends.

She started volunteering for Friends in 2015, having been personally touched by the care and compassion afforded by the staff and volunteer team at Roxburghe House a couple of years previously.

At first, she volunteered at weekends in the coffee bar, and at the same time she applied to join the board of Friends of Roxburghe House and she has continued in that role right up to the present day.

Fiona said: “My main role on the board of Friends is to communicate and provide support to donors and fundraisers.

“For the past two years, I have been at the finish line greeting all our KiltWalkers as they cross it. They take on a mammoth 17-mile walk, quite often doing this in memory of someone who has spent time in Roxburghe, so it is an exhausting, emotional challenge for them.”

In 2023, Fiona played a key role in restarting essential services that had been paused during the pandemic, including the reopening of the coffee bar. She also organised our entry in the Celebrate Aberdeen parade, boosting our visibility and community support.

“We had over 50 folks join us to parade down Union Street with one of our walkers saying it felt like Notting Hill Carnival,” she said.

Fiona shows amazing dedication in giving her time, energy, and passion to support our organisation. She now volunteers at the day unit of Roxburghe House, helping serve lunches and chatting with patients as well as covering a weekend coffee bar shift once a month.

She also writes the newsletter that goes out twice a year to keep everyone informed and engaged, helping to sustain community support.

As she says: “Whether meeting with donors, fundraisers or companies who wish to support the work of Friends of Roxburghe House Grampian, the most often used phrase is ‘I can’t thank Roxburghe House enough’.

“As a small board, we are at times exceptionally busy but it’s fantastic being able to support a brilliant staff team within such a special unit.”

Fiona supporting the Kiltwalkers with fellow board member Anne Brown.

Find out more about becoming a volunteer at Roxburghe House.

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