A CHARITY set up in memory of a young Dunfermline boy is continuing its efforts to help families facing the ordeal of having an emergency hospital stay.

Finlay’s Friends was launched in August by the parents of Finlay Bennett, a Touch Primary School pupil who died in July 2014 after contracting meningitis.

He was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious in his bedroom by mum Jen and was then transferred to Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow where, tragically he passed away.

His dad, Dave, said: "We are trying to do something good. We feel Finlay would have gone on and made a positive impact in life and we are trying to keep that going."

Since August, a total of 75 comfort kits have been delivered to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow to help parents faced with a similar crisis.

In the kit are items including a toothbrush and toothpaste, toiletries, a blanket, snacks and a notepad and pencil.

Dave said their goal was eventually to distribute the special boxes across Scotland but they were growing slowly to make sure they remain sustainable.

“It is going really well,” he said. “We did the first delivery in August and that was the official launch and, to date, we have delivered 75 kits which is a bit lower than we expected.

“We had budgeted for 30 kits a month but it is roughly about 15 at the moment. Just now, the kits are just going to Glasgow, to the children’s hospital that is the new Yorkhill.

“Fundraising is ongoing and we have plenty of events planned for this year as well. We have still got a lot of people involved which is great. We have had fantastic support.”

Dave said they hoped the comfort kits would help those faced with traumatic circumstances similar to what they had to go through.

“It is a strange one,” he told the Press. “It would be nice if we didn’t have to give any of the kits out but the kits are there to provide a bit of support for parents.

“Our story is we were rushed at first to Kirkcaldy then across to Glasgow. Jen was just about in the clothes she had woken up in. She hardly had anything.

"It is all these sort of things that makes a huge difference. If you are there and you have had a huge shock and still in the same clothes, simple things like being able to brush your teeth and give your face a wash can help.

“There’s also a notepad and pen – you speak to a lot of different people and it is to give that extra bit of strength to the parents so they can focus on supporting their child.

“It is extraordinary circumstances you are in. It is almost like you are taken out of your everyday life and everyday stresses as this all pales into insignificance.

"You are in this situation and you are cut to the core. You are back down to basics and you don’t have these basics. You cannot brush your teeth, you are sleeping on a sofa and we want just to provide these basic comforts.

“In terms of doing the charity, it doesn’t help with the loss but it is good that we are doing something positive.

"He was a really good lad. People are all pulling together to help. There is so much goodness in the community, there are amazing people out there.”

The charity has several fundraisers planned so far this year including a quiz night next month, a three bridge challenge, Finlay’s Fling ceilidh event and the Kilt Walk in September.

For more information about the fundraising events, visit www.finlaysfriends.co.uk or www.facebook.com/FinlaysFriends.