Manchester United have donated a series of items, including a signed shirt of leading player Bruno Fernandes, to help Aberdeen Royal Infirmary raise funds to create a new staff garden.
The Old Trafford giants, who enjoyed their greatest success under former Dons manager Sir Alex Ferguson, have handed over the Fernandes shirt, an official club ball and hats and pin badges to boost the efforts of the ARI venture.
The initiative, which aims to provide hospital staff with a place where they can relax at their Foresterhill home, has so far raised more than £115,000 of a £195,000 target.
Rev James Falconer, who was the driving force behind the Robertson Family Roof Garden at ARI, has continued his efforts to bring the project to fruition, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdown.
And Paul Breen, another supporter of the plan, has spoken about the “incredible” donation which he and his colleagues have received from the English Premiership club.
Mr Breen, who has staged a number of charity events, said: “This will be a place where all the NHS staff will be able to go to eat, read or just relax, even if it for only a short time before they go back to doing what they do best and getting patients well enough to go back home again if that is at all possible.
“We know this garden would be very gratefully received by the staff in normal circumstances, but I believe it is something that is absolutely essential during these torrid times due to this horrible coronavirus.
“Manchester United have very kindly donated a range of incredible items and I am going to auction them off with all the proceeds going to the staff garden project.”
The winner of the different items will be the person who offers to donate the most money to the venture at the Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nhsgstaffgarden.
The items which have been presented to the ARI fundraisers are a signed Bruno Fernandes shirt, a signed Manchester United football – both in their own presentation box with a certificate of authenticity – and two hats and pin badges.