The Friends of Insch Hospital & Community was established in 1989 by Dr Halldis Mackie to support the healthcare services of Insch and District, following a campaign to prevent the closure of the hospital's maternity unit. Since then, the Friends have been involved with a variety of projects to support the hospital patients and community, but since the “temporary” closure of the hospital at the start of COVID in March 2020, and the resulting Strategic Needs Assessment, our focus has been on fighting for the reopening of the hospital, and campaigning and planning for a future healthcare facility that serves the needs of the community and can be safeguarded from future closures.