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:
“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.
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:
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:
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.
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!
Join us at The LifeCare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, for an afternoon of guilt free shopping on Saturday 6th of April between 2pm and 4pm at our Community Clothes Swap Event!
To register your interest call 0131 343 0940 or email:
A scheme to encourage members of the local community to “get chatting” in cafés in a bid to tackle loneliness and social isolation is being launched at local charity LifeCare Edinburgh’s community café, CaféLife, in early 2024.
Part of the Chatty Café Scheme, the “chat and natter” tables offer a designated space in CaféLife where customers of all ages can come together to meet new people and have a chat.
The scheme is set to turn “blue Monday” to “brew Monday” as customers will enjoy free tea and coffee between 11am and 2pm, as well as the opportunity to meet lots of new and friendly faces, at the launch on Monday (15th January).
LifeCare Chief Executive, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our community hub and café is a unique space, embedded in the local community, that brings together generations for activities, classes, and groups. Signing up to be part of the Chatty Café Scheme with the addition of our “Chat and Natter” table will further enhance our already significant social value.
“100,000 older people in Scotland feel lonely all or most of the time1, with Edinburgh named recently as one of the loneliest cities in the UK2. Loneliness is an epidemic that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or background. Something as simple as a regular conversation could change a person’s life.
“We’re delighted to be turning Blue Monday to Brew Monday by offering free tea and coffee on the day of the launch, and we hope it will make the start of 2024 a little bit brighter for those in our local community who need it.”
LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a proud 80-year-history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people. Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – within the home and out and about.
Demand for the charity’s services have risen at an unprecedented rate through the cost-of-living crisis, and they recently launched an urgent appeal to raise funds so they can continue to provide vital support during the difficult winter months.
The charity’s thriving community Cafe, CaféLife, has become a vital lifeline for many loyal customers.
71-year-old David, who has lived in Stockbridge all his life, has been coming to the Café for almost 10 years: “I stay in sheltered housing in the local area, and they don’t offer meals there. We can come, eat, and get a blether, we’re made so welcome and it’s a fabulous place with fabulous staff. It gets you out and about.”
The Café also holds a special place in the heart of Sofiya and her friends: “We’ve been coming to the café every Wednesday for over 10 years. In the beginning there were four of us, one person sadly died, the other person is now living with dementia and is about to go into a home so there’s now only 2 of us left.
“We think the staff are exceptional. We’ve got to know them all very well over the years and we have a good laugh every week.”
The “chat and natter” tables will be a permanent addition to CaféLife following on from the launch, with two-hour sessions, supported by volunteers, taking place on a weekly basis. All proceeds from CaféLife fund the charity’s vital services.
Jenny Bimpson, Volunteer Manager at Chatty Café, said: “The Chatty Café Scheme, launched in 2017, helps reduce loneliness via the use of Chatter & Natter tables.
“Designating a few tables in a café, pub or community centre creates a space for people to connect, have conversations and meet new people. The sessions are supported by Chatty Café volunteers, welcoming people to the table and helping to create a friendly atmosphere”.
The Chatty Café scheme is a brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other.
She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter and Natter’ signs on tables in cafes it created a space for people to talk.
Anyone can join the table; if you’re on your own, in a couple, with a friend, if you’re a carer why not sit there with who you care for, mums and babies, dads and babies, grandparents and babies, young people, older people and anyone in between!
It’s a great way to meet new people in your community.
LifeCare Edinburgh brought members of the local community together to enjoy some early festive cheer this year at their annual charity Christmas lunches. Over 150 two course lunches were served across three days in the charity’s Community Café, CafeLife, by volunteers from aerospace engineering company Leonardo, who chose LifeCare as their charity partner last year.
Guests also enjoyed entertainment from local choir, The Cheyne Gang, a community singing group for people living with long term respiratory conditions such as COPD, Asthma and Bronchiectasis, as well as a Tombola and Christmas Quiz.
LifeCare CEO, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our Christmas Lunches are a fantastic way of bringing people together in support of a good cause.
“All the money we raise from our lunches and other Christmas activities go directly towards our Winter Warmer Appeal which we launched back in November, due to unprecedented demand for our services through the cost-of-living crisis.
“These funds will enable us to continue to provide vital support to local older people and unpaid carers during the difficult winter months. A huge thank you to all those who came along, including our wonderful volunteers and of course our fabulous choir. Your support funds ours, and it really does make a huge difference.”
LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a proud 80-year-history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people.
Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – within the home and out and about.
The LifeCare Christmas lunches have become a key date in the diary for many Stockbridge locals, with the 2023 events the second to take place since the covid-19 pandemic.
LifeCare encourages people to ‘share a little warmth’ through the charity’s Winter Warmer appeal
As the winter approaches older people are faced with difficult choices; colder weather and long dark nights make it harder to keep well and warm at home, and it can be trickier to safely get out and about, worsening issues of isolation.
As we face another winter of continued high prices, many local older people are struggling to make ends meet and are facing real choices around putting the heating on versus food shopping.
Local charity, LifeCare has over 80 years’ experience offering the vital care and support people need all year round, but with the organisation’s own costs rising they do not currently have the capacity to meet the increasing demands from a growing population of older people. The charity is calling on local people and businesses to get involved and help raise funds to support LifeCare and those struggling this winter.
Older people have been disproportionately affected through the recent covid, cost of living and health crises and charities such as LifeCare have never been needed more. LifeCare experienced a 250% increase in enquiries post-pandemic and recently a 67% increase in enquiries from people living on low incomes. LifeCare aims to keep service costs low, or free for those that most need it, so that they are accessible to everyone.
Recent research from Age Scotland shows that the numbers of older people living in poverty increased this year with approximately 1 in 6 older people living in relative poverty and 41% feeling financially squeezed (up from 26% in 2021).
70% of people surveyed were already cutting back on energy and heating costs, 50% said their standard of living had dropped and 38% were socialising less.
The long-term health and wellbeing impacts are still unknown, but with over 85% of LifeCare’s clients living alone, local older people in Edinburgh are becoming increasingly isolated and in desperate need of considered and caring support.
Originally established in 1941 as the Edinburgh and Leith Old People’s Welfare Council, LifeCare’s professional and high-quality services enable older people to thrive in their own homes and be active in their communities all year round.
Through its relationship-based approach the charity supports the growing numbers of people living with dementia, in isolation, with reduced mobilities, experiencing mental health, and those living on low-incomes.
Activities are delivered within the home, out and about within the community and from three registered day clubs across the city. Collectively the charity supports over 1,000 older people a year.
Through the ‘Winter Warmer’ campaign LifeCare aims to continue to deliver affordable care for those that need it most. This includes offering hot meals on wheels, unpaid carers support, dementia-friendly hairdressing and community engagement activities for those that need it.
And with support, the charity will continue to run CafeLife, the charity’s community café on Cheyne Street, as a welcoming Eat & Meet warm space offering free hot food, companionship and activities across weekends. The charity will also launch a series of workshops and groups such as ‘cooking on a budget’ and ‘mend and repair’ classes to help maximise limited incomes.
LifeCare is calling on everyone, from individuals to local businesses, to join their appeal, share a little warmth and give a donation to help deliver support to those that need it most this winter.
Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare said “We are extremely worried about local older people this winter, with continued high prices for food and fuel, it will be devastating for many. On top of the ‘heat or eat’ dilemma they are also at risk of serious social isolation. It’s times like these which highlight the critical need for services such as ours.
“LifeCare has a long history of supporting and empowering older people to live life to the full, but as a charity we rely on donations to enable us to deliver our vital support and care. Thanks to our services, we ensure that each older person receives the support they need.
“We make sure they are warm in their homes, they eat well, have company to look forward to and are able to get out and about to activities safely. Our regular, reliable and non-rushed support is delivered by the same friendly faces, so friendships are formed and care is consistent. And we know it works; in our recent survey over 91% of day club clients felt more social connected and 85% felt their health and wellbeing had improved.
“It’s frustrating because we know we can deliver the care that people want and need, but we are facing increased costs too. We are asking local people and businesses to consider giving a one-off or regular gift through our Winter Warmer appeal.
“Donations can be made on our website or alternatively people can come along to our community café to pledge their support. Even choosing to have your coffee or lunch from our café will help us to deliver the care local older people need to ensure they continue to thrive at home.”
Local MSP Jeremy Balfour is supporting the charity’s campaign encouraging people to get involved.
Jeremy Balfour MSP for Lothian said: “I am delighted to be supporting LifeCare’s Winter Warmer campaign.
“Winter can be a difficult time of year for people of all ages, however it is an especially tough period for older people and the work that LifeCare does to support them over the winter months is life changing.
“I would commend anyone who is able to support their work in any way that they are able.”
All money raised through Winter Warmer will go directly towards supporting older people in the city.
