Tag: LifeCare

Soul Night for LifeCare

LiIFECARE SOUL NIGHT

Saturday 10 March 8pm – 00.30am

Heriot’s Rugy Club, Warriston Gardens

We are holding a ‘Soul Night’ for LifeCare. Get your dancing shoes on and forget your troubles by dancing to Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, the Isley brother, Gloria Jones to name a few.

Ticket Price: £12.  Available here at LifeCare (pop in or phone to pay by card) or from Eventbrite https://lifecare-soulnight.eventbrite.co.uk

Where: Heriot’s Rugby Club, Goldenacre, Warriston Gardens entrance, EH3 5QN

When: Saturday 10th March from 20:00pm to 00:30am

There is a fully licensed bar.

Over 18s only

There will be a raffle on the night with fabulous prizes.

All proceeds go towards supporting people in Edinburgh with expert dementia care.

Queen’s Award for LifeCare

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Stockbridge-based LifeCare have had their work recognised by Her Majesty the Queen. LifeCare, which works with elderly people, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Across the city, Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club has also received the highest accolade.

Both charities were recommended for awards by Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant, Donald Wilson, who also takes on the role of the city’s volunteering champion and both LifeCare and Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club will be invited to attend a garden party at Holyrood Palace with the Queen in late Spring.

LifeCare Edinburgh, based at Cheyne Street in Stockbridge, works across the city supporting the independence and wellbeing of the elderly, people with dementia and carers, helping them to remain at home, connect with others and participate more fully in their community. This is done through a rang of services which includes day units, a popular community café and volunteer projects.

Su Millar, Chief Executive of LifeCare Edinburgh, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this news and proud to be one of two organisations to receive such a prestigious award. We are delighted that it is recognising the excellent work our volunteers do here at LifeCare Edinburgh.

“We are grateful to Sopra Steria, Edinburgh for nominating us. It demonstrates our commitment to our volunteers and we could not offer all that we do without them. The volunteers who work with us complement our staff teams whether it is assisting in the day units, helping in the café, supporting our events, or helping older people with their shopping.”

“They all bring their own enthusiasm and expertise so without them LifeCare Edinburgh would not be able to make such a difference in the lives of the people we care for. Our volunteers range from students doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, people who have retired and have more time to spare, to those looking to gain experience in the workplace.”

Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club provides a vital lunch club service for elderly and frail people in east Edinburgh. The service is provided on an entirely voluntary basis by a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are themselves elderly.

The local groups are two of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards handed out to groups have increased by over 60% from 2014, due to an increase in high quality applications, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.

Volunteers from LifeCare and the Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club will receive the award from Edinburgh’s Lord Provost later this summer.

The Lord Lieutenant Donald Wilson said: “The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups and recognises the outstanding work they provide within their local communities. I am delighted that not one but two of Edinburgh’s fantastic charities have been chosen by the Queen to receive this recognition.

“Both LifeCare and the Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club truly deserve the praise. It was an honour to recommend them personally for their voluntary service, and it will be my privilege to present them with their awards and certificates later this year.”

The Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, added: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The hard work and commitment that goes into the work of these organisations is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer.

“I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact so that we can continue to build a bigger, stronger society.”

 

Any group of two or more people that has participated in voluntary work for more than three years can be nominated for the award. Full details on how to nominate are available at http://qavs.direct.gov.uk/

Nominations for the 2016 awards close on 18 September 2015.

Café Life community café attains Breastfeeding Friendly Award

Microsoft Word - Breastfeeding Friendly Award Criteria.docIt’s been the law in Scotland for ten years that it is an offence to prohibit a woman from publicly breastfeeding her child. Despite this, many women still feel unwelcome.

NHS Lothian has launched a new initiative to get public places such as café’s to create a policy that breastfeeding mothers will not just be welcomed but actively encouraged to use their facilities.

Café Life, a community café which is part of the charity LifeCare Edinburgh in Stockbridge has recently attained the Breastfeeding Friendly Award.

LifeCare’s Business Relations Manager, Stephen Clarke said: “This award is proof that we do what we say we do.  Although we have always welcomed mother’s to breastfeed their child in the café and use our facilities such as our baby changing units this award means that we are recognised as part of a bigger initiative to support the rights of breastfeeding mothers.”

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Café Life is used by a cross section of the community such as parents with infants, young adults with learning disabilities, older people, workers and school children.

LifeCare (Edinburgh) Limited is a local charity that works with the elderly, those with dementia and their carers across Edinburgh.  Café Life contributes to the services provided by directing any extra income made into them.

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Thinking caps on for LifeCare Quiz

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We are holding another Pub Quiz as the last one was so much fun! We are very fortunate to have Robert the Bruce quizmaster at the helm again.

It’s on Friday 27 February from 8:30 – 11.30pm

(18+ only) here at LifeCare.

Tickets cost £5 each. Lots of fabulous prizes to be won. Bar and snacks.

Get your friends together and make a team!

Funds raised will help LifeCare with their work with the frail elderly and people without dementia throughout Edinburgh

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Still caring after all those years

Caring award for Stockbridge charity

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Care at LifeCare (Edinburgh) in Stockbridge extends far beyond attending to health necessities. Be it music and singing in the St. Bernard’s club, or a nutritious meal at the on-site community cafe, LifeCare Edinburgh has enriched the lives of older people for over 74 years.

Earlier this month LifeCare Edinburgh was awarded a Carer Positive certificate to acknowledge their commitment to caring.

The recently-introduced Carer Positive kitemark is awarded to employers in Scotland who have a working environment where their staff, who are also carers for family members, are valued and supported. This might be through flexible working policies or with simple practical measures which can make a big difference to carers.

Care Services Manager Margaret Stewart said: “This award is proof that we do what we say we do. LifeCare is set apart from other organisations by how we look after our staff as employees and in their caring role. We are very proud to be one of 16 organisations across Scotland to be recognised for this award.”

Fundrasing manager Vicki Bradley added: “LifeCare Edinburgh is known for caring for others whether in their day centre or at home, so it seemed natural that it should support its staff who are carers personally,”

And such is the commitment of the Stockbridge team that they are already working towards the next level of the Carer Positive kitemark!

 

Saturday sales

A reminder of two local fundraisers taking place this weekend:

There’s a table top sale at  Old Kirk & Muirhouse Church in Pennywell Gardens tomorrow from 10am – 1pm. Tables still available, £5. Come along and grab a bargain!

Also tomorrow, LifeCare in Cheyne Street is the place to be to pick up some early Christmas gifts – they are holding a Craft Fair from 10.30 – 4.30pm, and there’s soup, rolls and snacks too.

Happy bargain hunting!