By
Collin MacFarlane
 LAST August our Sick Children’s appeal was boosted by a generous
gift of £2000 from former Glasgow man, Ron McDonald (right).
 Ron now lives in Carlisle and we were more than happy to
hear from him again — especially when he sent our appeal a massive cheque for £6758.
The generous 88-year-old had two ISAs that had
matured and instead of keeping them for himself and his wife, Edna, he donated them to our appeal.
It’s the biggest single cheque we’ve had so far and we can’t thank Ron enough. It’s fairly boosted our funds.
Good news
Ron is partially sighted so it was Edna who wrote to us with the good news.
“We discussed what to do with it and decided to make another donation to your campaign. We didn’t just want to leave the money sitting in the bank,” said Edna.
Although he’s lived over the border for many years Ron has never forgotten his roots. “I was brought up in Govanhill, Glasgow, and want the money to go to Scotland,” said Ron, who left his native city 70 years ago when he joined the RAF.
His vision problems don’t stop Ron getting out and about though and he keeps cheery while making those less fortunate than himself happier.
He joined the RAF as an
18-year-old. Ron says, “I’d read a newspaper advert for an RAF training course to make instruments for aircraft.”
He joined up and it proved to be a career for life and in 1939 Ron’s work became vital with the outbreak of war in Europe.
The RAF sent him to Stroud in Gloucestershire as a trainee instrument maker.
Aircraft
Ron worked on automatic pilot controls for Wellington bombers and was taken on the aircraft to test his work.
When he finished his training he was posted to RAF Kirkbride in Cumbria. He found a good life there, not least because he met Edna.
Ron takes up the story. “My pal and I enjoyed going to the dance hall in Carlisle at the weekends. It was towards the end of one evening when we found a couple of girls for a dance. The last dance was ladies’ choice and my girl came back to find me.”
That was Edna and she and Ron have been together ever since. They married after the war in 1945 and stayed in Carlisle, where Ron remained with the RAF. He rose through the ranks and was promoted to technical training officer, the position he held until he retired.
He has a daughter in Milton Keynes but he and Edna remain happy in Carlisle.
“I’ve been lucky in life,” he admits. That may be why he wants to help others.
Ron keeps in touch with what’s happening in Scotland through The Sunday Post each weekend.
“I’ve put money in ISAs and managed to save quite a bit. I want to use it to help the children in hospital.”
Thanks, Ron.
 IF YOU have a
special reason for contributing to or raising funds for our appeal
then we’d like to hear from you.
It could be that
you’d like to thank caring staff for the treatment they’ve
provided in your hour of need. Or perhaps a relative spent time in
one of Scotland’s children’s hospitals and the experience has
left a lasting impression on your family’s life.
Whatever the reason,
please let us know.
We’d be delighted
to share your experiences with our readers. And, who knows,
it may inspire others to follow in your fund-raising footsteps.
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