Work will begin today to transform a major part of the north-east’s only children’s hospital.
The first steps of the ambitious renovation of Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, which is being led by the ARCHIE Foundation, will get started after the front entrance closes tonight.
Construction teams will begin transforming the reception area, and today the Press and Journal can reveal just how bright, colourful and welcoming it will be.
One of the main features is a play area for children, with a treetop-themed ceiling overhead, complete with a trunk planted in the middle of the floor.
The work will take 10 days, during which time the main entrance will remain closed to the public.
Project manager Dave Tipping said: “This is a really exciting time for The ARCHIE Foundation and the children’s hospital, which will once again be world class when all the work is finished.
“With the work on reception, there will be a little bit of disruption for a few days, for which we apologise, but this is inevitable with such big projects in a busy, fully functioning hospital.
“We will keep this disruption to a minimum and we thank everyone for their patience – patients, staff and families.”
Meanwhile, work is already underway on the hospital gardens surrounding the building.
The renovation both inside the reception and outside the facility has been made possible following a donation of more than £265,000 from energy firm, the Wood Group.
Hundreds of employees took part in a host of fundraising activities to raise the cash, including one team climbing 10
Munros, various golf days, 10K races and dozens of bake sales over the past two years.
A £50,000 digital gallery will also be installed in the bridge which links the hospital with Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
All of the projects are part of the first of 10 steps in making the hospital a world-class facility, which are being funded through the widely-supported High 10 campaign.
It is estimated the scheme will cost in the region of £2million to complete.
