The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland has always been committed to the provision of welfare support to retired Queen’s Nurses. Years ago, when many Queen’s Nurses remained single and lived in the ‘nurse’s cottage’ during their careers, some experienced significant financial hardship in older age. Today we continue to provide hardship grants for those in need but the emphasis of our welfare work has changed. We have consulted about how we can do that most effectively. Retired QN’s were asked what is important to them about our welfare work and these are some of the words they used:
And so we support these important things in a number of ways:
This provides an opportunity for retired QN’s to come together from across Scotland to meet old friends and share news, as well as hear about what the Institute is doing over an excellent lunch. Buses are run from Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The 2022 Annual Gathering is planned to take place at the Crieff Hydro on Monday 20th June 2022 and hope to see you there. Retired Queen’s Nurses receive booking forms with the Annual Review mailing in February 2022. This will of course only go ahead if there are no government restrictions in place at the time.
Contact Fiona Fitheridge for more information or call 0131 229 2333
The 2022 holiday dates are 20th to 24th June and 12th to 16th September. We hope these holidays will still be able to go ahead in 2022 and we will review this in line with government guidance. Booking forms will be available in early 2022.
If you would like to know more, please contact Fiona Fitheridge on 0131 229 2333
A network of volunteer Visitors, generally retired Queen’s Nurses themselves, are available to visit or phone retired Queen’s Nurses. They provide fellowship, and support and most importantly, keep the retired Queen’s Nurses connected to the Institute. If you are a retired Queen’s Nurse who would like to find out more about QNIS Visitors, whether you would like a visitor or to express interest in being a visitor, please contact Fiona Fitheridge on 0131 229 2333.
The Visitors can recommend the provision of small hardship grants.
We are increasing the number of newsletters we send out to all the retired Queen’s Nurses. For 2021 we will be sending three editions rather than one, with the first one in April, one in July and one in September. A copy of the most recent newsletter from September 2021 can be read here
If you missed it, the Summer newsletter can be read here
We are only able to provide support for retired Queen’s Nurses. However, there are many other organisations that may be able to provide help and support for retired nurses who are not QNs.
- The Nurses Memorial to King Edward VII in Scotland
- Junius S Morgan Benevolent Fund
- The Benevolent Fund for Nurses
Sources of advice and support:
- Age Scotland – 0845 833 0200
- Silverline – 0800 4 70 80 90
History of our Welfare
Since 1907, Queen’s Nurses were offered respite from their work at Colinton Cottage – the home of one of the Institute’s founders and Honorary Secretary, Miss Guthrie Wright. Although Colinton Cottage was sold some time ago, the tradition of offering respite has continued, and for many years now we have offered the nurses the opportunity of a holiday at Crieff Hydro, which continues the aim of Miss Guthrie Wright all those years ago.