Inverness’ Eastgate Shopping Centre is celebrating reaching the milestone of £100,000 raised for The Archie Foundation, which supports local babies, children and families across the Highlands and Islands.
The centre’s staff, shops and other retailers began supporting Archie in April 2011, with a donation towards an appeal to raise £2million for the Highland Children’s Unit at Raigmore Hospital – which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The generous support has continued over the past 15 years, with the proceeds of various events including fashion shows and Santa’s Grotto donated to The Archie Foundation – resulting in a total donation of £101,000 to date.
One of the fundraising highlights is the much-anticipated annual Easter raffle.
Two hampers – one packed with goodies for children and the other stuffed with treats for grown-ups – will again be raffled in the centre this Easter.
The shopping centre is the start and end point for the Great Easter Egg Hunt 2026 on Friday and Saturday (April 4-5) from 11am to 4pm, alongside other fun activities such as free face painting.
The city-wide event encourages visitors to explore the city centre as they hunt for colourful eggs hidden in shop windows, aided by a map. Special golden eggs will reveal the Easter Bunny’s name.
Shops and other retail outlets in the Eastgate Shopping Centre have all donated items for the hampers, with tickets costing £1.
Sarah Purdie, Marketing Manager at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, even braved an abseil at Dunrobin Castle, scaling the castle’s walls while dressed as Buzz Lightyear.
She said,“The Archie Foundation has been a cause close to the heart of Eastgate Shopping Centre since the original appeal for the Highland Children’s Unit, and we are incredibly proud to have reached the £100,000 milestone to support children and families across the Highlands and Islands. We hope to see lots of families visiting the centre and the city centre over the Easter weekend, when our mascot Nevis will be popping by to say hello, alongside facepainting and, of course, the annual raffle with some amazing prizes from our retailers.”
The Highland Children’s Unit opened in 2016 and NHS staff have provided medical care to thousands of children from across the north of Scotland over the past decade.
All the funds raised by the Eastgate will help The Archie Foundation continue to fund vital projects, specialist roles and family support services across the North.
Neil McGregor, Business Development and Fundraising Manager in the Highlands for The Archie Foundation, said, “The Archie Foundation is a crucial resource for babies, children and families, providing practical and financial support when they need it most, following a bereavement or during a hospital visit or stay.
To have reached £100,000 is incredible and we are so grateful to the team, retailers and all the shoppers at the Eastgate Shopping Centre who continue to support Archie and all the children who are cared for at the Highland Children’s Unit.”
For 25 years Archie has helped children and families across the north of Scotland, funding specialist roles and projects at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Tayside Children’s Hospital in Dundee and Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, as well as the Highland Children’s Unit.
For more information about the practical, financial and emotional support available from The Archie Foundation, visit www.archie.org/getsupport/.