The Highland Health Board charity (SC016791), the official charity of NHS Highland, is proud to announce the launch of a £150,000 three-year nurse wellbeing and leadership development project at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
In 2024, the charity was approached by a generous anonymous donor wishing to support a project focused on enhancing the wellbeing, resilience, and professional development of Raigmore’s nursing workforce. Through their generosity, match-funded by the charity, a collaborative initiative was developed in partnership with senior nursing leaders in NHS Highland.
The donor shared their motivation for supporting nurses at Raigmore, stating: “Nursing is a giving, caring profession that achieves so much under increasingly challenging circumstances. I want to support the nursing staff at Raigmore in a meaningful way that provides long-term, compounding benefits and is guided by the knowledge and expertise of senior nurses.”
This project directly addresses the challenges facing the nursing and midwifery workforce, including staff shortages, workplace stress, and post-pandemic pressures. There are in excess of 1,600 nurses at Raigmore Hospital and targeted groups will be the focus of this initiative. By implementing targeted leadership development and wellbeing initiatives, the programme aims to create a more supportive and sustainable working environment.
“This project marks a major step forward in our commitment to nursing staff wellbeing,” said Evelyn Gray, Associate Nurse Director. “By investing in leadership development, resilience training, and enhanced peer support structures, we hope to foster a more fulfilling workplace that ultimately benefits both staff and patient care. We also anticipate valuable insights from this project that could inform similar initiatives across the rest of Highland and Argyll and Bute.”
Philip MacRae, Chair of the Charity Endowment Funds Committee, added: “This initiative is not just about supporting our current workforce—it’s about building a lasting legacy of strong leadership, enhanced wellbeing, and professional growth within Raigmore’s nursing community. We are deeply grateful to our anonymous donor for their vision and generosity in making this possible.”
The project will launch in April 2025, with key milestones set throughout its three-year duration to assess its impact on staff wellbeing, retention, and overall job satisfaction.
About the Highland Health Board Endowment Funds Charity
As the official charity of NHS Highland, the Highland Health Board Endowment Funds charity is privileged to support and enhance the vital work delivered by the NHS. Ranging from simple improvements and amenities to truly transformational innovations, their aim is to enrich the journey of our population from infancy to end of life. The charity’s work is made possible through the generous support of donors, enabling it to fund initiatives that enhance patient care and community health.