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.”

Care home residents host ‘Taylor Swift at Murrayfield’ event

HC-One Scotland’s Murrayfield House care home hosted their very own ‘Taylor Swift at Murrayfield’ event (and avoided the predicted road closures and lengthy queues) before the star arrives for her three consecutive concerts to kick-off the UK leg of The Eras Tour.

The home’s residents and colleagues held their very own Taylor Swift themed event where they sang and danced along to the 14-time Grammy winner’s greatest hits. Edinburgh will be bustling with eventgoers when the concerts take place – especially around the stadium area. The UK leg of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ will begin at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh tonight.

The Edinburgh care home held their own “Swiftie” concert on May 31, prior to the star’s arrival in the capital. The home even had a life-sized Taylor Swift cardboard cut-out to mark the American pop icon’s arrival.

There were also lanyards with passes attached, which were provided to the “Scottish Swiftie” residents to replicate the fans’ experience. Taylor Swift posters were also proudly displayed, and balloons added to the party atmosphere. 

All “eventgoers” were also handed silver pompoms and Taylor Swift masks to immerse themselves in the celebrations at the ‘Taylor Swift at Murrayfield’ event. Murrayfield House colleagues dressed up in costumes to dance along to tracks such as ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Love Story’ with a dance group who performed throughout the event.

Residents also enjoyed confectionary, as well as cocktails and mocktails. The American pop icon will play for three consecutive nights at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9, 2024.

It will be the first time Taylor Swift has performed in Scotland since 2015 and Murrayfield House residents cannot wait to read the media coverage about her tour. The Eras setlist will take fans on a journey through the career of Taylor Swift, beginning with ‘Lover’ and ending with ‘Midnights’. During each performance, Taylor Swift will play two acoustic songs. 

Fiona Truesdale, Murrayfield House’s Home Manager, said: “I was thrilled to host the ‘Taylor Swift at Murrayfield House’ event. Our residents really enjoyed the celebrations. We all sang along to Taylor’s biggest hits with costumes and bunting providing added sparkle – befitting of the superstar.

“We are excited to welcome Taylor Swift back to Scotland for the first time since 2015. All of us Scottish Swifties can’t wait to see her back to perform at Murrayfield Stadium, which is just over a mile away from us at Murrayfield House.” 

Margaret Finch, Wellbeing Coordinator at Murrayfield House, said: “It’s all about having fun and our colleagues and residents had a great time singing and dancing along to Taylor Swift’s songs. All residents had lanyards on as they had been “invited” to the big event – it was brilliant.

“We chose to do this event as many of our residents enjoy entertainment. Everyone enjoys Taylor Swift, and this showed – with wide mouth smiles on our colleagues’ and residents’ faces. The younger generation (including many of our residents’ relatives) are huge Taylor fans and so we felt that our residents should join in on the fun.”