Alzheimer Scotland – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

It’s a Wonderful Life Celebrating the Festive Season

Christmas arrived early for some Edinburgh care home residents this week, with a festive lunch and film afternoon at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

In collaboration with catering partner, Leith’s, the event catering division of Compass Scotland, the EICC produced a special event for local people with Dementia. 100 guests were invited for a traditional two-course Christmas lunch while they watched the Christmas classic, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on the big screen.

The Leith’s and EICC teams approached local care homes, agencies and charities to invite residents to attend the free event and enjoy some festive cheer in the lead up to Christmas. Residents and carers joined the event from Home Instead, Colinton Care Home, St Margarets Care Home, Alzheimer Scotland, Viewpoint Housing Association and Re-Engage Edinburgh.

Guests were greeted with a glass of bucks fizz to start the celebration, before enjoying a starter of either Cock-a-leekie terrine with pickled vegetables and tomato chutney or celeriac and sun blushed tomato tartare with oatcakes, followed by roast turkey or a roast butternut squash pave with all the trimmings. The afternoon was rounded off by coffee or tea and mince pies.

This is the third time the EICC has hosted the festive film afternoon for local care home residents. The event was carefully considered and supported to ensure it was comfortable, calm and enjoyable for all.

As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, this activity is in line with its ‘Our Social Promise’, which launched in 2022. This includes a Mission to a Million commitment, to provide support to one million people by 2030 through jobs, training, community engagement and development.

Claire McHardy, Leith’s General Manager at EICC said: “We understand the importance of social connections for older people, so we were pleased to be able to reach out to these organisations to help us put on this event.

“It was a lovely Christmassy afternoon, and it was heartwarming to see the joy that our food and the film brought to our guests.”

Lisa Moodie Commissioned Service Lead for Edinburgh & Lothians at Alzheimer Scotland said: “Alzheimer Scotland was delighted to be invited to the EICC’s festive film and lunch.

“The people we support thoroughly enjoyed the chance to watch a classic film over a festive lunch. Thank you to the EICC for reaching out to involve us.”

Marshall Dallas, EICC Chief Executive commented: “We’ve worked closely with Alzheimer Scotland over the last ten years, holding their annual conference here at the EICC.

“We have also hosted social gatherings for Re-engage, so we’re really pleased to welcome guests today from these organisations, together with guests from local care homes, as we enjoy a wonderful festive occasion.”

Edinburgh care home residents do Memory Walk for Alzheimer Scotland

Residents and staff at an Edinburgh care home have joined a fundraising challenge that pays tribute to people with dementia by walking more than three miles around their gardens.

More than a dozen residents and staff from HC-One Scotland’s Murrayfield House Care Home have teamed up to take part in Alzheimer Scotland’s Memory Walk fundraising campaign.

With the aid of frames and wheelchairs, the residents – aged from 77 to 97 – have been walking around the care home’s gardens and along nearby Murrayfield Avenue, gathering donations in local shops along the way.

Led by wellbeing coordinator Margaret Finch, the walkers aim to complete the 5km challenge in stages over a number of days.

They have already raised more than £1,000 and counting – smashing their initial target of £300 – but hope to raise even more vital funds to support dementia care, research and improvements in brain health.

Margaret, 63, from the city’s Silverknowes area, has worked at Murrayfield House Care Home for five years.

She said: “The residents and staff were keen to do the Memory Walk because so many of us have either had support from Alzheimer Scotland or have a loved one who has been affected by dementia. My late mum had vascular dementia so I’ve had first-hand experience of the impact this illness can have.

“Alzheimer Scotland do such important work – funding research and fighting the stigma around dementia – and we are all determined to raise as much money as we can for them.

“Our manager Fiona Truesdale gave us the idea to organise the Memory Walk and we’ve had such great support for it from the whole team, including my fellow wellbeing coordinator Norma Mackie.

“The residents have loved putting on their purple t-shirts and taking part.”

One of the oldest walkers is 96-year-old retired engineer Douglas Lamond. Douglas said: “I like to keep fit by doing exercises every morning, so I was delighted to take part in the Memory Walk and cheer the group on.”

Other walkers included Doreen Hall, 88, who lives at the home with husband David, 88, and Elspeth Braidwood, 80, a former Sunday school teacher who used to work at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Doreen’s daughter Debbie said: “My mum Doreen has dementia and Alzheimer Scotland have been a great support, not just for her but also for my dad David who cared for her when they both lived in their own home.

“It’s wonderful that they have the opportunity to support the charity through the Memory Walk.”

The Memory Walk campaign allows people across Scotland to take part in organised events throughout September, or to complete the challenge at a time and place that suits them by doing Your Walk, Your Way.

Events are taking place in Inverness, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. Tickets cost just £10 for adults and children can be registered for free. It’s quick and easy to set up a sponsorship page, which can be shared with family, friends and colleagues.

Every penny raised will help people with dementia and their carers, as well as supporting better brain health for everyone in Scotland.

Lauren Heap, centre manager for Alzheimer Scotland’s Edinburgh and West Lothian Brain Health and Dementia Resource Centre, said: “Alzheimer Scotland is proud to support people living with dementia and their families and carers, from our centre here in Edinburgh.

“Scotland’s Memory Walk has always had a wonderful ability to bring people together. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the lives of people with dementia and walk to remember them. Every pound raised helps Alzheimer Scotland continue to develop and deliver vital dementia support.”

To find out more and to sign up for Scotland’s Memory Walk, visit memorywalk.alzscot.org
Sponsor the Murrayfield House Care Home team via Margaret Finch’s JustGiving page.

Miller Homes Scotland East raises over £10.5k for Alzheimer Scotland

Homebuilder’s team in Edinburgh supports Alzheimer Scotland with fitness challenge

Miller Homes Scotland East is supporting Alzheimer Scotland with a donation of £10,595 following recent fundraising efforts that saw the homebuilder’s Edinburgh team complete a month-long step count challenge, alongside other colleagues in the East of Scotland.

For each mile a Scotland East employee stepped during the challenge, Miller Homes pledged to donate £1 to Alzheimer Scotland, resulting in thousands raised for Scotland’s dementia charity.

Making a real difference to the lives of people living in and around the communities Miller Homes is building in, this challenge allowed employees in Edinburgh to stay fit through a variety of exercise methods, from hill walking and running, to taking part in basketball, netball and football games.

Neil Gaffney, Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East, is exceptionally proud of the fundraising efforts from the Edinburgh team. He said: “The team members from our head office and West Craigs Manor development in Edinburgh certainly know how to accept a challenge and this charity fundraiser was no different.

“Each employee took this incentive in their stride, quite literally, raising a staggering total for Alzheimer Scotland, a charity we know is close to so many of our employees’ hearts.

“Not only have we been able to provide a cash boost for a great cause, we’ve also been able to encourage our employees in Edinburgh to come together through exercise and improve their overall health and wellbeing.”

Tom Pavey, Fundraising and Engagement Coordinator for Alzheimer Scotland said: “We are delighted to receive this very generous donation from Miller Homes, the support from its employees throughout this partnership has been extraordinary.

“Alzheimer Scotland depends on fundraising and every penny raised will help us to continue to fund our vital network of Dementia Advisors, Dementia Centres and 24-hour Freephone Dementia Helpline, that all provide critical support for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

“This donation from Miller Homes helps us to Prevent Today, Care Now and Cure Tomorrow.”

For more information on Alzheimer Scotland, visit www.alzscot.org/.

To find out more about Miller Homes’ community work, visit:

www.millerhomes.co.uk.

Former referee recounts career at Edinburgh Football Memories group as Specsavers tour hits capital

PARTICIPANTS of an Edinburgh Football Memories group enjoyed a visit from former referee Martin Clark as a Specsavers-sponsored whistle-stop tour of Scotland reached the capital.

The official sponsors of the Scottish FA match officials have facilitated for retired refs to speak to participants of Football Memories, a project which assists people living with memory loss conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as those experiencing loneliness and social isolation.

The tour will also stop in at Dundee and Aberdeen. Ex-whistler Dougie Hope got proceedings under way at Hampden Park on January 25, before Martin entertained the group at Hibernian FC’s Easter Road Stadium with tales from his career.

Established in 2009, Football Memories Scotland is a charitable project run by the Scottish Football Museum in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland.

With 500 groups around the country, often hosted in football settings, Football Memories uses engaging football-themed resources stored in a memory box, such as reminiscence cards, life-size player cutouts, newspaper clippings and books, to stir memories and discussions led by volunteers.

Specsavers have sponsored the boxes for the referee tour and have helped to provide some exciting new contents for them such as old football boots, photographs of former referees and other memorabilia.

Long-term memories can be triggered for many through the visual cues of images, videos, artefacts and discussions taking place in a small group or even a one-to-one setting, unlocking precious happy moments from the past. The impact can be enormous.

Robert Craig, Chair of the Scottish Football Museum, says: ‘We were delighted to welcome Martin to the group as our new partnership with Specsavers continued to demonstrate its power.

‘Their support to the Football Memories project, which impacts the lives of all who touch it, is invaluable and helps us to continue to deliver for those living with memory loss conditions or experiencing isolation.’

Crawford Allan, Scottish FA Head of Referee Operations, says: ‘Football Memories is a fantastic initiative and one our roster of former referees will gladly support, as an extension of our existing partnership with Specsavers.

‘We hope their stories and treasured memorabilia will spark many happy memories.’

Specsavers’ Arlene Stephenson, Scottish Divisional Chair, says: ‘Specsavers is proud of our long tradition in backing Scottish referees, but our latest sponsorship deal sees us going further than ever, helping to raise awareness of the vital work Football Memories does in assisting people living with memory loss conditions.

‘We can’t wait to hear what questions the referees are fielded on their tour of the country and learn about the impact for those attending the groups.’

Specsavers announced in 2021 that it renewed its’ sponsorship deal with football referees in Scotland, marking more than 20 years of support – one of the longest agreements of its kind in sport.

The deal has seen the partnership continue into 2024, not only helping with the training and development of referees, but also helping to raise awareness of para football and grassroots football in Scotland.

Former ref Martin Clark to speak at Hibs Football Memories group as Specsavers-sponsored tour hits capital

Participants of a Football Memories group in Edinburgh will get the chance to hear from former referee Martin Clark as Specsavers’ whistle-stop tour reaches the capital.

Martin, from Edinburgh, refereed over 300 top-flight games in Scotland and will recount his career, which spanned 1976-2000 to the group at Hibernian’s Easter Road on February 19.

The tour kicked off last month in Glasgow, as ex-whistler Dougie Hope got things under way at Hampden Park.

John Rowbotham will talk to the Dundee group in March, while Mike Pocock will host the Aberdeen participants at April’s meeting.

Established in 2009, Football Memories Scotland is a charitable project run by the Scottish Football Museum in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland.

The impact can be enormous.

Robert Craig, Chair of the Scottish Football Museum, says: ‘After a hugely successful first event with Specsavers at Hampden Park, we are delighted to be on the road and visiting one of our groups in Edinburgh.

‘We are sure their stories and treasured memorabilia will spark many happy memories.’

‘We can’t wait to hear what questions the referees are fielded on their tour of the country and learn about the impact for those attending the groups.’

For those keen to attend the Easter Road group on February 19 at 10.45am, please register your interest via email here: tomwright.1972@btopenworld.com.

You have until 11:59pm, Thursday 15 February to do so.

Space is limited and attendees will be allocated and informed by Hibs Football Memories in advance of the group.

Specsavers announced in 2021 that it renewed its’ sponsorship deal with football referees in Scotland, marking over 20 years of support – one of the longest agreements of its kind in sport.

Gillespie Macandrew donates record £48,000 to its charity partners

Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has donated a record £48,000 to the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) and Alzheimer Scotland as part of its annual commitment to its charity partners.

The firm donates 1% of its pre-tax profits each year and this year announced double digit income growth for the second consecutive year with turnover reaching £16.8m.

These donations are part of a wider programme of engagement with the charities, which includes volunteering and fundraising activities.

The firm began its partnership with ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland in 2021 after both charities were nominated and chosen by staff. The firm’s overall financial contributions now total over £126,000, shared between the two charities during this period.

Gillespie Macandrew’s commitment to supporting charitable causes is a key element of its overall ESG programme, having donated more than £250,000 to Scottish charities over the past eight years.

Robert Graham-Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Gillespie Macandrew commented: “We are delighted to be able to share the firm’s success with these two very important charities who provide invaluable support to families in Scotland.

“We continue to offer practical support to our charity partners and our staff regularly take part in volunteer days with both ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland, from working in the hospital garden to setting up fundraising events.

“This year Gillespie Macandrew staff also had the opportunity to join Dementia Friends training sessions to learn more about dementia and the small ways in which people can help.”

Roslyn Neely, Chief Executive Officer at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “We are so pleased to be the recipients of this incredible support from Gillespie Macandrew which will help provide our life changing work in The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

“No child wants to be in hospital, but for those who must be, ECHC is there to make that experience as positive as possible. Thank you to everyone in Gillespie Macandrew for their kindness and for choosing to help babies, children, and young people with this generous gift.”

Jonathan Mitchell, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are delighted to receive this very generous donation of £24,000.

“Alzheimer Scotland depends on fundraising and every penny raised will help us to continue to fund our vital network of Dementia Advisors, Dementia Centres and 24-hour Freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000), that provide critical support for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

“Without the amazing efforts of our supporters, we would not be able to deliver this vital help. This donation from Gillespie Macandrew helps us to Prevent Today, Care Now and Cure Tomorrow.”

Gillespie Macandrew has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advising clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, renewable energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.

Creating a National Care Service

Community engagement funding to ensure groups are heard

Third sector organisations are being awarded new funding to help ensure as many voices as possible are contributing to the design of the National Care Service.

The funding will facilitate contributions from minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system.

Organisations will each receive £5,000 to encourage the communities they work with to have their say on how future community healthcare and social work services should look.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “As we build a National Care Service that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland, we need to hear from people directly.

“The new National Care Service will set the standards and guidance to support the design and delivery of community healthcare and social work services locally.

“The complexities of getting this right should not be underestimated. People with experience of the current system, whether receiving health and care support or delivering it, are the experts. We need to hear those voices – and those of groups who are often overlooked.

“We know that minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system are under-represented in our co-design work to date. We also know that people affected by dementia are a key group we want to hear more from and we will benefit from partnering with an organisation with expertise in this area.

“I am confident the funding to support co-design activity with seldom heard communities will help us shape a system we can all benefit from and be proud of.”

The partner organisations are:

LGBT Health and Wellbeing
Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
The Simon Community
Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of offenders (SACRO)
Alzheimer Scotland

Penicuik Dental Centre supports local patients living with dementia through its dedicated training programme

A Penicuik dentist is reinforcing its commitment to local people living with dementia by providing all staff members with access to a specialist initiative. The nationally recognised initiative ensures people living with dementia are supported in the local community and continue to access much-needed oral healthcare.

This Dementia Awareness Week (22 May – 4 June) Penicuik Dental Centre, is supporting Alzheimer Scotland by becoming Dementia Friends, in its bid to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage Scotland to ‘see the person behind the diagnosis’ this campaigning week.

A number of clinical and support staff at the practice are Dementia Friends trained through an official partnership with Alzheimer Scotland. The on-site team has received specialist training and information about dementia and the varying ways it can affect an individual.

Measures that each practice has implemented to support people living with dementia include reassuring patients and making them comfortable within the practice, communicating in an accessible, jargon-free way, encouraging family members to attend appointments if preferable and encouraging self-directed care and decision making.

Kevin Dow, Associate Dentist, Penicuik Dental Centre said:“ As part of our commitment to providing sector-leading care at community level, we have partnered with Alzheimer Scotland to ensure all of our patient-facing team members are ‘Dementia Friends’.

“From the moment an appointment is required, through to the dental care they receive, communication with the patient and everything in between – we have a range of considerations that we take in to account to ensure that patient is cared for appropriately.”

Penicuik Dental Centre, is part of the Clyde Munro Group, Scotland’s leading dental group that provides NHS and private dental care for patients across the country.

Fiona Wood, Chief Operations Officer, Clyde Munro said: “Across the Clyde Munro Group, we have over 1,000 people who have become Dementia Friends. It’s imperative to the protection of accessible oral healthcare that we are appropriately trained at every local practice to support our patients living with dementia – and their families – in accessing dental care.

“We are incredibly proud of the partnership we have with Alzheimer Scotland and believe our role extends beyond the walls of our practices, we want to support people in their communities, at a local level, and being Dementia Friends allows us to do this.”

The dental group is committed to providing sector-leading care for NHS patients, as well as private patients. Currently the group provides services for over 600,000 patients, with the majority of patients being registered NHS patients.

Clyde Munro operates across Scotland providing routine and specialist dental services for NHS and private patients. The group employs over 250 clinicians and 600 support staff and is committed to the recruitment and retention of talented dental professionals across the sector.

The Edinburgh Practice launches a city-wide art competition in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland

Mental healthcare specialists, The Edinburgh Practice, has announced a city-wide art competition, entitled ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ in collaboration with its 2023 charity partner, Alzheimer Scotland, which will be officially unveiled at the opening of its new 6,500sq ft multi-purpose, custom built 26 room clinic in Waverley Square this summer.

The company, founded by Dr Fiona Wilson in 2017, has outgrown three sites in the city due to exponential growth over the last two years and is counting down to opening its new clinic which will include new specialist services for older adults including the provision of dementia assessments through the practice’s new Memory Clinic.

The competition, which has five categories; primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, adults aged 18-65, adults aged 65 plus, and people living with dementia, (or caring for someone with dementia) ties in with the range of new services for older adults and will also help raise awareness of the support offered by Alzheimer Scotland.

The theme for the competition is about encapsulating people’s interpretation of memory, which can range from a fond memory of quality time with grandparents or memorable past experiences of places, people and moments. Entries can be submitted in A0, A1, A2 or A3 format and be submitted digitally by emailing ella@edinburghpractice.com by 5pm on Friday 19^th May 2023.

The winning artist in each category will receive a £100 voucher for the St James’ Centre, and their artwork will be displayed for one year in the new practice at Waverley Square.

Dr Fiona Wilson said: “Supporting the wider community is very important to us at The Edinburgh Practice and I am thrilled to announce that our 2023 charity partner is Alzheimer Scotland.

“The charity is doing tremendous work in supporting people with dementia and carers, as well as creating awareness about brain health across the life span.

“We hope that our ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ art competition will stimulate awareness and discussions among all age groups in the community as to how important brain health is to preserve our memory for as long as possible.

“We are very much looking forward to unveiling the winning artworks in each category at our launch event in the summer.”

Josh Munns, Stakeholder Engagement Leader at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are delighted to be the charity partner for The Edinburgh Practice who are helping to raise crucial funds and vital awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.

“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s essential that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.

“Without the support of organisations like The Edinburgh Practice we wouldn’t be able to support the 90,000 people living dementia, their families and carers”.

Gillespie Macandrew donates £40,000 to its charity partners

Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has made a significant charitable donation of £40,000 to be shared between its two charity partners, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) and Alzheimer Scotland.

As part of its ESG programme, in each of the last 7 years Gillespie Macandrew has donated around 1% of the firm’s annual pre-tax profits to its partner charities. In total this commitment has contributed over £210,000 to Scottish charitable causes.

The firm’s charity partners are nominated and chosen by staff and supported through volunteering and other activities. Last year Gillespie Macandrew began a three-year partnership with both ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland.

Robert Graham-Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Gillespie Macandrew commented: “We are delighted to share the firm’s success with these two very important Scottish charities, particularly during a period of recessionary pressures for organisations and individuals.

Our practitioners deal with sensitive family matters every day and it is therefore very fitting that we support ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland who provide invaluable support to Scottish families.”

Victoria Buchanan, Deputy Director of Development at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is thrilled to receive this wonderful donation of £20,000! Being in hospital is tough for children but this donation will make things easier for them and their families.

“Through ECHC’s daily art activities, youth work and family programme on the wards, children can have fun and feel better supported to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

“We’d like to thank everyone at Gillespie Macandrew for their generous donation.”

Caroline Miller, Lead for Stakeholder Engagement at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are so grateful to all of the people at Gillespie Macandrew for their continued support over the past year.

“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s vital that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.

“Gillespie Macandrew have made an incredible contribution during our partnership, raising over £40,000 which has all been used to support people living with dementia here in Scotland. Services supported include our network of Dementia Advisors who provide personal support, advice and advocacy and our Freephone 24 Hour helpline which is a lifeline for so many”.

Gillespie Macandrew has a long and proud history of supporting not for profit organisations and staff are given a paid day off each year to participate in charitable or corporate and social responsibility events.

The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advising clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.