Last year, Dunblane was awash with flares, sequins and platforms as friends and supporters of the DHCT came together for a brilliant evening of music, dancing and fundraising. The night raised an incredible £2,330 for The Duncan Hospital, and judging by the photographs, everyone embraced the theme with enthusiasm!

This year we’re swapping bell-bottoms for leg warmers, big hair, neon and all things 80s.

Our DHCT 80s Night – Dancing for The Duncan promises another fantastic evening of classic 80s music, fancy dress and fun, while raising much-needed funds for the work of the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust.

The DHCT supports The Duncan Hospital in Raxaul, Bihar, helping the hospital care for some of the poorest communities in Bihar and neighbouring Southern Nepal. Funds raised by the charity help support a wide range of needs, from medical equipment and improvements to hospital facilities to staff education and sponsoring nurses in training.

So whether your 80s inspiration is Madonna, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, Freddie Mercury, Wham!, Duran Duran or simply as much neon as you can find, we’d love you to join us.

Tickets are £15 per person

Your £15 donation is your admission ticket, and 100% of your ticket donation will go to support the work of the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust.

If you are coming to the 80s Night, please include your name and the number of people attending in your donation message so we can keep an accurate guest list.

Supporters who simply wish to donate are, of course, very welcome to do so too.

Fancy dress encouraged – Over 18s only.

Book your place and donate here – DHCT 80s Night: Dancing for The Duncan

Last year was such a great night, and we would love to see familiar faces – and plenty of new ones – back on the dance floor.

Dig out the leg warmers, dust off the dancing shoes, and come Dancing for The Duncan!

The post Back to the 80s – Join Us for Another Brilliant Night for The Duncan! appeared first on tdhct.

After raising nearly £9,000 last year, The Giving Tree’s generosity made it possible to fully support the ASHA Streetkids School at Duncan Hospital for an entire year. Thanks to the kindness of their customers and supporters, 50 vulnerable children received a basic education, daily hot meals, and ongoing care and support through the ASHA School programme at The Duncan Hospital, Bihar.

Everyone at DHCT is incredibly grateful that The Giving Tree has decided to continue this partnership. While the support means a great deal to the charity, the greatest impact is felt by the children whose lives are being transformed through access to education, nutrition, and stability.

Last year, DHCT trustee Professor Gordon Mackay visited The Duncan and saw firsthand the difference this support is making within the ASHA Streetkids School. The project continues to provide hope and opportunity to children who are among the most vulnerable in the local community.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to The Giving Tree, their customers, and everyone who has contributed to this incredible achievement. Your kindness and generosity are helping to create brighter futures for these children.

To Donate click here today

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At first, donations were channelled through the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society (EMMS). However, it soon became clear that a more dedicated approach was needed – one that focused entirely on the specific needs and future of The Duncan Hospital.

In 2011, together with close friends Dr Graham Watson and Karen Watson, the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust (DHCT) was established.

What began as a single project has since grown into a long-term commitment. Today, the DHCT supports a wide range of initiatives at Duncan Hospital and beyond, continuing to build on those early foundations.

If you would like to donate to our latest fundraiser, head here now

Just Giving Asha School Project

The post From First Steps to a Lasting Commitment appeared first on tdhct.

The DHCT was set up in 2011, inspired by the work of The Duncan Hospital. What’s happening there – the care provided, the lives changed, and the dedication of the people involved – is the very reason this charity began.

It’s a story that spans continents, built on unexpected connections and a shared determination to make a difference. And yes… there is a Scottish link in there too – but we’ll leave that for another post. Or you can head to our About page now.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more across our Facebook and Instagram pages. We’ll talk about how it all came about, introduce some of the people behind DHCT, and explain why this work continues to matter so much.

If you’d like to follow along and learn more, we’d love you to connect with us on social media. Please do give us a like and a follow – it really helps us spread the word and reach more people.

Thank you for being part of our journey

Find us on Facebook

Find us on instagram

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Dr Watson last visited The Duncan Hospital during the November 2024 trustees’ trip for the inauguration of the new nursing school and his enthusiasm for the work being done there remains as strong as ever. The Duncan Hospital has that effect on people!

It’s always encouraging to see such genuine interest in the ongoing work of the DHCT, and we’re delighted to keep sharing the journey. Here’s to more conversations that connect our local community with the remarkable efforts taking place in Bihar.

If you would like to donate to the Asha Street Kids School project click here now to go to our Just Giving Page

The post Bridging Worlds: The Duncan’s Story Shared in Dunblane appeared first on tdhct.

When The Duncan Hospital Community Outreach team first met Jakimu in her village, she was bravely facing advanced breast cancer. With extraordinary skills and dedication, the team began visiting her regularly – cleaning and dressing her wound, supporting her through the challenges, and helping her access the treatment she needed. Their compassion and persistence brought comfort, relief, and a renewed sense of hope.

During a recent visit to The Duncan Hospital, the Trustees of the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust were fortunate to meet Jakimu and hear firsthand about her journey and the remarkable care she had received from the outreach team.

A few months later, we were delighted to receive an update from the team – news that the Duncan team had helped Jakimu access more advanced cancer treatment. Not only that but the same team had also been able to provide ongoing support for one of her Grandchildren, a bright and joyful child living with cerebral palsy, who is now also receiving ongoing support. We think you’ll agree that the second photo tells a thousand words!

What began as one woman’s health care journey became a story of hope for an entire family. With guidance from Duncan Community Outreach Team, they’ve been connected to the medical, social, and emotional support they need – and the future feels just a little brighter.

Every day, The Duncan Hospital Outreach Team travels beyond the hospital gates, bringing healthcare and hope to families across Bihar. Their work quietly but profoundly changes lives – one visit, one family, one story at a time.

Your support helps make stories like Jakimu’s possible. Donate to the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust today.

100% of donations go to the The Duncan Hospital

The post Hope Beyond the Hospital Gates: Jakimu’s Story appeared first on tdhct.

Those in this group live with disabilities themselves or care for loved ones who do. Today’s visit is about more than medical care. The team is sharing advice, encouragement, physical equipment, and information on where families can find support – health and rehabilitation help from the Duncan Hospital itself, plus local government schemes, that they might not otherwise hear of.

For families raising children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, these visits bring connection, understanding, and hope. They remind each person that they are not alone – that help and community can grow even in the more remote of Bihar’s communities.

Through its Community Teams, The Duncan Hospital continues to walk alongside families like these – building awareness, offering care, and helping them access the support they deserve.

Your support helps make these visits possible – bringing health, hope, and dignity to communities like these.

Please consider making a donation through the Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust – we guarantee that 100% of your donations go to The Duncan Hospital.

Donate here now

The post Stronger Together: How Duncan Community Outreach Teams Brings Connection and Care to Remote Villages appeared first on tdhct.

It’s wonderful now to see the new nursing school alive with activity, filled with students making full use of this modern, purpose-built facility. The difference it has made to the trainee nurses’ experience is truly inspiring, providing bright, well-equipped classrooms, practical training spaces, and a learning environment that matches the dedication of staff and students alike.

From the rooftop of the nursing school, the structure of the forthcoming Nursing Accommodation Block is already visible – the exciting next phase in improving facilities for nursing students and staff. This new accommodation will make an enormous difference to daily life, helping to attract and retain talented young people who come from near and far to train here at The Duncan.

Joining Prof Mackay on this visit are Dr Brian Davidson (rheumatologist), Dr John Schulga (retired paediatrician), and Dr Ali Schulga (retired community paediatrician). Together, they are spending time observing the hospital in action, meeting staff, and gaining a deeper understanding of the community that The Duncan serves.

It is always encouraging to see how our supporters’ generosity continues to help transform The Duncan Hospital – teamwork that links the hospital and its many supporters around the world.

Donate to our current fundraiser here

The post Seeing Progress Firsthand: 2025 Trustee Visit to The Duncan Hospital appeared first on tdhct.

The older sponsored nursing students have finished their internal assessments and are now hard at work preparing for their final board exams this October – (we wish them all luck)

Meanwhile, some of the first-year students enjoyed a well-deserved break with their parents and friends before returning to their studies.

Nursing classes have now moved into the new Clanton Nursing Block. Followers may remember our Trustees’ visit in November 2025 to open this amazing building – so it’s fantastic to see the students now learning and thriving there. Excitingly, longer-term plans have been launched to upgrade the School to a College and introduce a B.Sc. Nursing program.

The photos also capture a Nutrition Practical Demo – another step in the nurse’s training journey.

The students send their warm greetings, and we pass them straight on to you – all of our wonderful supporters, because it is your generosity that makes all this possible.

To donate to our latest fundraiser – https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/asha-street-kids-project

The post From Exams to the New Clanton Block: News from Our Sponsored Nurses appeared first on tdhct.

Dr Finny was in the UK to attend a medical conference, but took time out of his schedule to travel north and visit DHCT trustees Dr Graham and Karen Watson and Jackie Mackay. During his visit, Dr Watson gave him a whistle-stop tour of Stirlingshire, including visits to local hospitals, Dunblane Cathedral as well as to The Giving Tree – the local Dunblane charity shop that has done an incredible job of raising funds for us over the past year.

Dr Finny received a warm welcome here and shared uplifting updates on the latest developments and projects at The Duncan as well as thanking them and explaining just how much their donations are helping to make a difference to staff and patients at the hospital.

We’re hugely grateful to Dr Finny for his ongoing support for The Duncan and for taking the time to visit us at DHCT.

And as always, thank you to everyone who continues to support this vital work.

Our latest fundraiser is to help support the Asha Street Kids School at The Duncan – donations are welcome here.

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