Charitable trust expects funding request from MRI appeal

The trust has held talks with fundraisers behind the appeal “some months ago” but no formal request for funding has been received yet.

Chairman Andrew Cooper said: “This appeal is of huge interest to us all in Shetland and our trustees are keen to consider what can be done to help.

“We had an initial discussion with the fundraisers some months ago but the trust has not yet been asked for a grant contribution.

“Under charity regulations, Shetland Charitable Trust can only offer funding after it receives a request for assistance.”

The MRI scanner fundraising manager Derek Hart, meanwhile, recently said reaching the 50 per cent milestone should open new funding avenues as some charitable organisations need assurances that the campaign is financially viable.

At the moment 37 per cent – £621,941 – has been raised of the £1.65 million target.

Over 600 patients from Shetland travel south to have an MRI scan each year.

MRI diagnostics are used to diagnose and monitor a wide variety of conditions and the number of patients who need them is steadily increasing.