Redundancy fears for Sick Kids' New Pyjamas campaign workers

Published on Wednesday 10 February 2010 09:07

STAFF employed to oversee the £15 million campaign to raise money for the new Sick Kids hospital are facing the threat of redundancy as the future of the appeal hangs in the balance.

Talks are under way to salvage the New Pyjamas campaign in the wake of last week's revelation in the Evening News that campaign director Elaine McGonigle had been suspended and chairman Graeme Miller had stepped down.

The appeal's staff face an anxious wait to find out if they will be involved in the future.

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation, which is responsible for New Pyjamas, is under pressure to act after reports the appeal spent 500,000 when just 60,000 was brought in.

A source said making appeal staff redundant was an option but that nothing had been decided.

"That could be one of the things that will be looked at in the future. There are decisions to be taken, some of them won't be easy, but nothing is official yet."

There are nine full-time members of staff on New Pyjamas, including Ms McGonigle, who was suspended amid concerns about the way she was running the campaign.

The final straw for SKFF trustees seemed to come when she informed a wealthy would-be donor of possible changes about to affect the campaign team – which she said she was legally obliged as director to do – and he then withdrew his six-figure offer.

NHS Lothian bosses and SKFF trustees are locked in negotiations over the campaign's future.

While some health chiefs believe the only possible future for New Pyjamas – which has to raise 15m before the hospital moves to Little France in the spring of 2013 – is for them to assume control, the more likely outcome is for the SKFF to relaunch it with closer monitoring from NHS Lothian.

Regardless, the New Pyjamas team themselves seem to be still organising events and assisting others in raising funds.

Yesterday, the team was offering help to the Edinburgh Paranormal group, which is organising an event in June intended to raise money for the cause, and an insider at the campaign said the team were carrying on as normal.

Another source close to the campaign added: "Redundancy certainly wouldn't be straightforward, and the Elaine McGonigle situation will have to be dealt with first I would have thought. But, from the charity's point of view, something needs to be done."

The Evening News revealed last week how there are now doubts over some of the initiatives pledged by New Pyjamas, such as classrooms for young patients, a drop-in centre and the part- funding of a family hotel.

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