Tag: LifeCare

Duddingston Dental Practice continuing to support LifeCare

Staff and patients at Duddingston Dental Practice are proudly continuing their support of renowned local charity LifeCare Edinburgh.  

The dental team are actively getting involved with a huge number of activities to help raise vital funds for the charity which has provided care for older people in Edinburgh for over 80 years.

Duddingston Dental chose LifeCare as their charity partner in 2023 and the team have done an amazing job rolling up their sleeves and jumping into a variety of challenges including the Forth Bridge Abseil and most recently, they entered a team of five in the Kiltwalk.  

LifeCare offer a range of compassionate and considered services for older people to enable them to continue to live independently.  The charity supports people living with dementia, those who are frail, who are isolated and those who are struggling with other health issues.  

Over 75% of the charity’s clients live alone and services include registered outreach and day clubs, help at home, meals on wheels, wellbeing support for unpaid carers, Vintage Vibes companionship and a Saturday Social warm space. Collectively these services support over 900 older people a year and all the charity’s services are either subsidised or provided for free for those struggling on a low income. 

The Cottage on Milton Road East, nearby to the Duddingston Practice, is home to one of LifeCare’s day clubs for people living with dementia.  The team have been volunteering their time at the Cottage on a regular basis with cleaning, painting, supporting clients in their recent sponsored walk 

Amy Robertson, Fundraising Coordinator at LifeCare said “We are so grateful to the brilliant team at Duddingston Dental Practice.  

“They’ve raised over £1,704 for LifeCare already but they have also done so much more than that. They’ve engaged with our clients, got to know our staff and raised awareness of our services amongst their patients.  We are absolutely delighted to be working alongside them and can’t wait to see where this partnership goes.

“Local older people rely on our support to help them keep physically and mentally well, and in the current climate our accessible services have never been needed more.  We are always eager to chat with businesses keen to get involved – to both raise funds and to support our services through volunteering.  

“We are actively encouraging anyone interested to get in touch by giving us a call or dropping in to our centre on Cheyne Street.  We always look forward to meeting new kind-hearted local people, please do get in touch for a chat!”

LifeCare Edinburgh is a registered charity and relies on the support of its funders. For more information visit https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

Do You Need Help Writing or Updating Your Will?

LifeCare Edinburgh hosting free info event to help local people 

Are you worried about writing or updating your Will and not sure where to begin?  Join LifeCare Edinburgh and Lindsays Solicitors at their free information event to find out about the practicalities of the process, including when you should make a Will, what is involved and what you need to think about in advance. 

Making a Will is a simple thing you can do for your family, loved ones, friends and favourite charities and is probably easier than you think. 

This event will help ease any concerns you may have, so you can ensure that your affairs are in order. Bring along your questions and take time to talk to the experts from Lindsays on a 1-2-1 basis after the presentations. 

This event will take place on Wednesday the 18th of September between 2pm and 4pm at the fully accessible LifeCare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB, in the heart of Stockbridge. Arrival from 1.45pm to get refreshments and seated for a 2pm start for the presentations.

Free tea and coffee will be served. To register, please visit LifeCare’s website:

 https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/  

or give us a call on 0131 343 0940. 

LifeCare offers free relaxing activities for local unpaid carers

This Carers Week (10th – 14th June) local charity LifeCare Edinburgh is highlighting the support offered to unpaid carers every week of the year

 Are you an unpaid carer? Do you support another adult – friend or relative – due to their age, illness or disability?  Then this could be for you!

LifeCare Edinburgh understands how important it is for unpaid carers to get a well-deserved break.  The charity offers a range of respite services such as their registered day clubs, outreach care, help at home and meals on wheels services. The charity also offers a fantastic range of free drop-in activities designed for unpaid carers to relax, do something for them and meet others in a similar position. 

Join LifeCare to try a new activity or get back to something you love. All unpaid carer activity sessions take place in the LifeCare Hub on Cheyne Street and run through the week at different days and times.  

Why not pop along to Zumba on a Monday 6pm, Watercolours on a Tuesday at 11am, Painting and Sculpture for Beginners on a Thursday at 11am or Yoga on Sunday at 5pm?  Everyone that joins a class receives a voucher for a free tea or coffee in the charity’s community café CafeLife based within the hub.

Thanks to these activities, carers report feeling supported, connected, valued, refreshed and overall they feel better equipped to continue in their caring role.  One carer recently told us “I feel like myself again”

All activities are drop-in, no need to book, and are completely free thanks to funding from The Short Break Fund and LNER Community Fund.  You’re welcome to bring along the person you care for.  

To find out more drop in to the hub on Cheyne Street, call 0131 343 0940, email enquiries@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk or visit www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk.

We can’t wait to welcome you!

Trustee to swim Great North Swim to raise funds for local charity

Jonathan Erskine, LifeCare Trustee, is taking part in the Great North Swim to raise vital funds for LifeCare.

Jonathan’s dad has used LifeCare’s services for many years, which inspired him to get involved.  

Jonathan said “I will be taking part in the 2 mile swim on Lake Windermere, and I hope that every stroke will contribute to making a difference in the lives of older people in Edinburgh.”

The Arla Great North Swim is a weekend-long celebration of open-water swimming taking place over 7-9thJune.  Participants choose from six different open water distances, to suit all ages, abilities and level of experience. Distances range from 250m to a 10k.

Jonathan has opted for the 2 mile distance which is the equivalent of 125 lengths of a 25m pool.

To wish Jonathan luck and to help raise vital funds, take a look at his fundraising page:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jonathan-erskine-1710754938989

Charity fears over PVG proposals

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future” – LifeCare CEO Sarah van Putten

Foysol Choudhury MSP, Co-Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, has today raised alarm bells over Scottish Government proposals to replace the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership fee waiver, for volunteers in Qualifying Voluntary Organisations (QVOs), with a fee discount.

MSP Choudhury, who visited LifeCare Edinburgh last month, raised alarm bells over this proposal, which he said would hugely impact organisations such as LifeCare Edinburgh who carry out vital work and rely on volunteers to be able to deliver their services.

Following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh, Mr Choudhury lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament on Recognising LifeCare Edinburgh’s Contributions to Community Wellbeing. For these essential contributions to continue, however, Mr Choudhury says the Scottish Government must listen to the pleas of integral third sector organisations.

Mr Choudhury said: “LifeCare Edinburgh has worked tirelessly for 80 years providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people, such as through day clubs, support with household tasks and home care, which allow older service users to thrive in their own homes and community.

“LifeCare Edinburgh and many other organisations foster community wellbeing, both by providing volunteering opportunities and by running essential services using volunteers.

“They therefore rely on the goodwill of volunteers being easily accepted by the system, such as via the PVG fee waiver system which allows volunteers to be easily and freely accredited for volunteering opportunities with vulnerable groups.

“The proposal to remove this fee waiver and replace it with a fee discount will, therefore, mean more barriers to volunteering, especially for those from economically deprived backgrounds, which will have a knock-on effect in terms of decreased wellbeing for volunteers and decreased services available to be run for the community.”

Sarah van Putten, LifeCare Edinburgh CEO, said: “LifeCare strongly opposes the Scottish Government’s proposals to remove the current fee waiver for volunteers and replace this with a fee discount.

“The price of a PVG application, even at the subsidised rate, is not inconsiderable, particularly for those from economically deprived backgrounds. 

“The proposed changes would create a further barrier at a time where the cost-of-living crisis is already limiting access to volunteering. Adopting the proposed changes would worsen this problem and further exclude marginalised and disadvantaged communities throughout Scotland.

“The only way volunteer-involving organisations could conceivably help to mitigate this barrier would be to reimburse the cost of the PVG application back to volunteers. However, the cost of even subsidised membership applications is a substantial burden for charities to bear – particularly for organisations like LifeCare who have been significantly impacted by funding cuts, increasing demand rising costs. 

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future. 

“This will ultimately have an adverse impact on all those who benefit from volunteer-supported services across Scotland, and of course the volunteers themselves whose health and wellbeing benefits through the hugely rewarding experience volunteering can bring.”

Mr Choudhury, following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh and the submission of his motion recognising their work, is joining LifeCare Edinburgh in highlighting concern over these PVG proposals.

Mr Choudhury says he will, as Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, continue to pursue this matter with the responsible Minister.

Local charity receives funding boost from the ScottishPower Foundation

LifeCare Edinburgh has been awarded a significant funding boost of over £75,000 from the ScottishPower Foundation.  The funding will go towards its vital Help at Home and Meals on Wheels services, enabling the charity to reach over 200 local older people living on a low income with free support. 

Twenty charities across England, Scotland and Wales have been awarded funding totalling almost £1.2 million for projects tackling a range of issues, from cost-of-living support, to promoting diversity and inclusion and raising awareness of the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises. 

Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare said: “The funding from The ScottishPower Foundation will make a significant difference to the lives of hundreds of local older people. 

“At LifeCare, we believe everyone should be enabled to thrive in their own home and be active within their community.  Over 75% of the people we help live alone and without LifeCare, many older people would be left critically isolated.  

“Our services help people to keep well in both body and mind; delivering fresh, hot and nutritious meals to doorsteps with a smile and a chat, providing help with practical tasks when things are getting more difficult to manage, and offering companionship activities to keep people connected.    

“With a rapidly growing older population we are struggling to cope with demand for care coupled with the rising costs of service delivery. None of our services are fully funded and we rely on our fundraising to sustain our life-affirming services. 

“Thanks to this support we will be enabled to offer our meals on wheels service for free to those that need it and open our Help at Home service for free for those on low incomes for the first time.  We are all extremely grateful.” 

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “Projects like LifeCare’s free Help at Home and Meals on Wheels services are a prime example of how the ScottishPower Foundation’s support is helping to create a better future. 

“With this year’s projects providing vital support set to aid vulnerable people, communities, and natural ecosystems across the nation, it’s important for us to recognise and boost the incredible work of these charities.” 

For more information about LifeCare’s services and activities visit:

https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/ 

For a full list of the 2024 ScottishPower Foundation funded projects, go to www.scottishpowerfoundation.com

Scottish charities to receive share of £1.2 million ScottishPower funding

LIFECARE and PEOPLE KNOW HOW among the winners

An inspiring project to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into STEM careers is among six charities across Scotland set to benefit from a funding boost from the ScottishPower Foundation.

Some of the most forward-thinking and progressive charities across the country will use this backing to support vulnerable people, local communities and the environment.

Twenty charities across Scotland, England and Wales have been awarded funding totalling almost £1.2 million for projects committed to tackling current issues, from cost-of-living support and raising aspirations for the next generation to protecting the environment and celebrating cultural diversity.

An exciting new project from Archaeology Scotland, Energy Through Time, is helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop transferable skills and build their understanding in STEM subjects.

Through the project, young people will harness the power of the past by exploring the historic green spaces around Newbattle Abbey College with the task of creating innovative solutions for future energy sustainability, enabling them to become climate ambassadors for the future.

Supported by the ScottishPower Foundation, the first courses of the project will be kicking off as part of Meaningful May, a programme of activity offered to young people who are not sitting exams in school, with the aim of supporting them into a positive destination.

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The Energy Through Time project is helping young people to look into the past to inspire their very own future in STEM, supporting them in developing a host of skills and become the next generation of climate ambassadors.

“At the ScottishPower Foundation we always want to nurture projects that we believe will make a real difference, not only to our planet but to our local communities and the people within them. That is why it’s important for us to recognise and boost the incredible work of charities across the UK.

“It is always a challenge to narrow down the number of applications, but we sincerely believe we have selected a group of incredible organisations that we are thrilled to be in partnership with over the next year. We can’t wait to see what they all achieve.”

Jane Miller, Learning Officer at Archaeology Scotland, said: “At Archaeology Scotland we engage and connect young people with their local heritage, helping them develop new skills while raising aspirations for work and further learning.

“This project gives us the opportunity to use archaeology to grow STEM literacy amongst young people from areas where people are experiencing disadvantage across various aspects of their lives.

“We’re extremely grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for supporting this new project which forms part of our Attainment Through Archaeology courses, designed to offer all people the chance to develop and grow, whatever their background.”

Another charity benefiting from this funding initiative is People Know How, an innovation charity in Edinburgh that aims to improve wellbeing across communities by supporting people to overcome social barriers and thrive.

The ScottishPower Foundation’s funding will support the Reconnect: Digital & Wellbeing Community Support project which seeks to help eradicate digital exclusion by providing place-based digital support in collaboration with local community partners.

By working directly with local communities, the team are creating connections between people who may otherwise feel isolated in society.

The ScottishPower Foundation will also be supporting Hope Kitchen, an Oban-based charity looking to help those in need through food, friendship and fellowship. Pilot Upcycle and Repair Shop: Oban provides affordable food, clothing and homeware whilst also reducing waste.

The funding from the ScottishPower Foundation will allow Hope Kitchen to deliver workshops and events to enable people to learn the skills to repair and upcycle, whilst the shop aims to alleviate the impacts of poverty, specifically by reducing food and textile waste.

With more than £13 million given out to charitable initiatives across Britain over the past 11 years, including more than 230 grants, the ScottishPower Foundation is continuing to support a range of worthy causes, ranging from helping the next generation into STEM careers and reducing isolation among older people to helping enhance the biodiversity of our habitats.

A full list of the 2024 ScottishPower Foundation funded projects are:

·         Archaeology Scotland

·         Hope Kitchen SCIO

·         LifeCare Edinburgh

·         Glencoe Folk Museum

·         Volunteering Hebrides

·         People Know How

·         Pan Intercultural Arts

·         Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT)

·         Lancashire Women

·         Brass Bands England

·         The Rachel Kay Shuttleworth Textile Collections

·         Four Corners

·         Young Roots

·         Deafblind UK

·         The Magdalen Environmental Trust

·         Wintercomfort for the homeless

·         The Renewal Trust

·         Footprints Conductive Education Centre Ltd.

·         Tenovus Cancer Care

·         Techniquest

What is Power of Attorney?

A few places still available at LifeCare’s free info event to help local people simplify the future

Thinking about what would happen in the future if our, or our loved ones, faculties deteriorated can be stressful and worrying. How would someone manage our affairs, access our accounts to set up the right care for us, or pay the bills? Without the right processes in place, an already very emotional situation can be made worse with often very serious consequences.  

Local charity, LifeCare Edinburgh understands how daunting and complex these situations can be and will next month host a free information giving event to help debunk the complexities and help people put the right practical support in place to ensure someone trusted can quickly make decisions on behalf of a loved one if they’re not able, or no longer able, to make them themselves.  

Power of Attorney is a legal document where someone – while they still have mental capacity – nominates a trusted friend or relative to look after their affairs if they later lost capacity in the event of an emergency, illness or accident.

It is not limited to people who are older or unwell, everyone needs to consider setting up a Power of Attorney at any stage of life to avoid any future complications. For example, due to having a stroke, serious accident or dementia.  

Delivered in partnership with experts from Lindsay’s Legal Services team, LifeCare will host its first information giving event designed to encourage people to stop and think about what they need to put in place to help simplify the future.  

Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare said “Unfortunately at LifeCare we are well aware of how stressful life can be when people don’t have the right documents in place.  No one can predict when they may face an unforeseen illness, accident or other debilitating event that may render them incapacitated.  

“As one of Edinburgh’s leading charities providing practical care support we know how emotional these situations can be at the best of times but we also know how much worse they can be when family members and loved ones are locked out of helping access the support for the people they care for. 

“Relatives can’t just walk into a bank and access your money, even if it is to pay for your care. Unless you’ve a Power of Attorney, loved ones would need to apply through court, which can be long and costly. 

“We understand that thinking about the future can be upsetting and frightening. Our free and informal information giving event delivered in partnership with Lindsays is designed to simplify matters; there will be no jargon and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussions and an opportunity to discuss any concerns with legal experts for free.”

LifeCare’s ‘What is Power of Attorney’ event, delivered in partnership with Lindsay’s, will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 1st May in the charity’s fully accessible community café, CafeLife at 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB. 

Free tea and coffee will be available along with the opportunity to find out more about LifeCare’s vital services for older people and the community overall.  

The charity is encouraging people to register via Eventbrite in advance of the meeting: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lifecares-power-of-attorney-information-event-tickets-856970821797?aff=oddtdtcreator

or visit the LifeCare website https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/

or call 0131 343 0940 to register interest.

TODAY: Spring Community Event at LifeCare

Enjoy lots of fun spring activities, including a bake sale, face painting, art exhibition featuring artwork from our unpaid carers classes, and our pop up play for under 5s for your littles to enjoy!

This event is free thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

All welcome, just drop by!

Free thanks to @TNLComFundScot

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