Donald MacNaughton fondly recalls winning the PATCH trophy with his Highlander cow Skye 4th of Rannoch.
The Balnabroich 2017 PATCH trophy
Donald MacNaughton, a well respected stockman, is interviewed for the Scottish Farmer in 2021. When asked about his most abiding memory, he fondly recalls winning the PATCH trophy with his Highlander cow Skye 4th of Rannoch.
Sir Michael Nairn retires as PATCH's chairman after seven years of outstanding leadership and growth.
Sir Michael Nairn, who is Chairman of Rautomead Limited, Dundee, retired as PATCH’s first Chairman on 1st January 2021 after more than seven years. He successfully guided PATCH from its beginning in Tayside in 2013. However, his commitment to palliative care extends even further.
In 2009, a three-bed Acute Palliative Care Unit, funded by public donations, opened in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. In 2011 two members of the Acute Palliative Care Unit Trust were invited to Rautomead to meet Sir Michael & Mr Brian Frame, Managing Director and left with a £35,000 donation. The staff of Rautomead have remained wonderfully generous supporters ever since.
What made Michael’s Chairmanship so successful?
Above all, he has a passion for palliative care. He brought out the best in the Board and valued everyone’s contribution, writing hundreds of personal thank you letters to our many helpers.
He was willing to travel to PATCH events, however remote, whatever the time of year and whatever the weather.
His international business experience ensured that our financial record keeping was meticulous and our documentation consistently accurate and professional.
He established some remarkable and long lasting connections for PATCH; for example with the Highland Cattle Society. Both Sir Michael and Lady Sally Nairn are prominent exhibitors at Cattle Shows. The PATCH trophy, an exquisite sculpture created by Lady Sally for the best Highlander in the National Show, continues to be awarded every second year.
The 2017 Balnabroich Show in Perthshire, involved 55 Highlanders from all over the country, a ceilidh, fish and chips, a hog roast, a remarkable auction and many new friends of PATCH. It raised over £50,000!
PATCH’s fond friendship with the Highland Cattle Society remains strong.
Mr Mike Lavelle Jones, President of the RCSE and Sir Michael agreeing on the Dundas Medal.
From Cattle Shows to Colleges – a strong collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons resulted in the Dundas Medal, an annual award to any team or individual who made a valuable contribution to palliative care in their hospital.
During Sir Michael’s Chairmanship, PATCH raised £300,000 and funded 32 research, education and innovation initiatives including the first PATCH nurse in Scotland.
The importance of good end of life care has been clearly demonstrated to us during the pandemic and Sir Michael’s inspired leadership has helped us towards realising this dream for patients and their families. A deep felt thank you to Sir Michael from all at PATCH.
The second award of the PATCH trophy for the champion Highlander has been awarded to Dexter Logan of Blairlogan Highlanders.
Dexter is seen here being presented with the PATCH trophy by the Medical Director of PATCH, Dr Pamela Levack.
The striking PATCH perpetual trophy created by Lady Sally Nairn, the wife of our Chairman, was first awarded to the Champion at a Highland Cattle Show at the Nairns’ home, Balnabroich, in September 2017.
The trophy was awarded for a second time at the Highland Gathering held as part of Westmorland County Show on 12 September 2019. The winner was Dexter Logan of Blairlogan Highlanders with his outstanding two-year heifer Ban-Iarla-Morag 9th.
Lady Sally Nairn holding the trophy accompanied by Mr Sam Rayner, President of the Westmorland County Agricultural Society and his wife Judy (image by kind permission of the Society).
The weather on Show day was ‘challenging’ with almost incessant rain and the PATCH team was extremely grateful for use of the Highland Cattle Society tent to shelter from the downpour.
Our display attracted a lot of interest with sales of Christmas cards and donations raising £800. We were very grateful to the Highlanders exhibitors who very generously elected to hand over to PATCH the whole of a £500 donation that they had received from an agricultural supply company.
Balnabroich Farm, Blairgowrie, welcomes over 400 to Open Day in aid of PATCH.
News release –14 September 2017 – On Saturday 9 September over 400 members of the public, as well as local MSP John Swinney, attended a gathering of Scotland’s finest pedigree Highland Cattle at Balnabroich Farm, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
The event which was the first of its kind to be held at Balnabroich brought together eighteen breeders and over fifty cattle, raising in excess of £50,000 for Scottish charity PATCH.
The event was organised by Sir Michael and Lady Sally Nairn as a fund and awareness raiser for the palliative care charity PATCH (Palliation and The Caring Hospital), of which Sir Michael is chair. PATCH was set up in 2013, and is the first charity specifically to support 24/7 specialist palliative care for patients in Scottish hospitals.
Sir Michael Nairn, chair of PATCH commented:
Sally and I were delighted to see all the effort in organising this event come to fruition with a day that seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all – even by those who didn’t win a prize! We were particularly heartened by the incredible generosity not only of those who came along, but also of those who chose to donate to PATCH as part of this event. We have raised in excess of £50,000 in one weekend and that is truly beyond our expectations. We are delighted.
The work PATCH does will be greatly enhanced by not only this increase in funds, but also an opportunity to raise awareness and generate more supporters. Knowing that 55 percent of people are destined to die in hospital yet few hospitals have designated staff who are well trained and experienced in palliative care is a situation PATCH is working hard to alleviate. To patients who are suffering or in pain, and also those and their families who need some relief of anxiety or distress as they approach the end of their lives, specialist palliative care can make all the difference whether in hospital or making it possible for people to die peacefully in their own homes.
