July & August 2025

Contact 0141 638 4888 or enquiries@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk

Female Carers – The Cartvale Last Thursday of Month (10.30am-12.30pm) July 31st & August 28th Meet other female carers for conversation, information and support. If you would like to attend, please email: vicki@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07964 859932  
Male Carers – Sandlers Cottage 2nd Thursday of month (1pm-3pm) July 10th & August 14th A monthly meeting giving men the opportunity to meet with other men who provide a caring role. If you would like to attend, please email karen@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07759 911677  
BAME Coffee Morning – The Redhurst To be arranged for August date A chance to take time-out and chat to other BAME parent carers in a relaxed setting. If you would like to attend, please email lorraine@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk   or 075616 83094  
Dementia Carers – The Cartvale 3rd Tuesday of month (11am-1pm) July 15th & August 19th Come and join like-minder carers to gain insight, share experiences and provide and receive peer support. If you would like to attend, please email: vicki@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07964 859932  

 

Peer Support Group – Sandlers Cottage  1st Thursday of month (6.15pm-7.30pm) (July 3rd & August 7th) Caring for a loved one can provide different challenges. Speaking to others in a similar situation can help. If you would like to attend. We will alternate with different staff members for the group. Please email michelle@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk 07964 858179 to attend on July 3rd and karen@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07759 911677 to attend on August 7th date   
Parent Carers  Last Wednesday of month – The Cartvale  No group in July, group on August 27th (10.30am-12.30pm) and Last Thursday of month – The Dalmeny  No group in July, group on August 28th (10.30am-12.30pm) If you like to attend, please email: tracy@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07763010897  
Information Sessions – every week in July On Monday 7th July 2025, we will be joining HSCP, SDS Forum ER and Money Advice and Rights Team in Eastwood Health and Care Centre from 12noon – 4pm to answer all questions relating to the Charging Policy for Non-Residential Care in East Renfrewshire. Please feel free to come along! These sessions will run every week. Mondays in Eastwood Health and Care Centre from 12-4 Wednesday’s in Barrhead Health and Care Centre from 10-1  
Drop In Information Clinics Drop-ins will be held in the Oak room in Eastwood Health and Care Centre on:  Tuesday 8th July Tuesday 12th,19th and 26th August, with local authority partners Time: 1pm – 2.30pm  
Upcoming Activity We are arranging yoga sessions to start towards the end of August and will email out the information with dates and venue as soon as possible. Upcoming outing We are looking to arrange an outing for the Dementia Group towards the end of summer and will send out details as soon as able to confirm the details Upcoming training Age Scotland training opportunities, first will be Dementia Awareness 13th August 10.30am at Sandler’s cottage  
ONGOING CENTRE SUPPORTS

Knitting & Crochet – Sandlers Cottage Having a break over the summer If keen to attend after the break, please email vicki@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07964 859932   The knitting and crochet group have been creating worry worms to help with sensory issues and have been passing them onto local schools and organisations to help if anyone needs a distraction if going through a tough time. The group have a worry worms’ story in the People’s Friend special issue on 23rd July  

   
Dementia Walking Buddies (DWB) If you care for someone living with dementia, our Dementia Walking Buddies Project might be the thing you’re looking for. The project aims to provide a one-to-one volunteer support for individuals living with dementia, to attend a health and wellbeing walk. This would not only benefit the person living with dementia but also give his/her carer some time to themselves.  Once a week, a trained and friendly volunteer will visit you at home, accompany the person you care for, enjoy a walk, and then return home safely. We carefully match the participant with a volunteer based on their hobbies, interests, locality. To find out more email: farah@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or 07467 070169

Dementia Education Course Please see attached a flyer for the next dementia education course which will be held in the Oak Room, in Eastwood Health Centre. The course will begin on Tuesday 15th July from 1pm – 2.30pm and will run for 4 weeks.

This is aimed at carers for those with a fairly recent diagnosis of dementia, and brings together several different agencies, to make carers aware of some of the help and support available within the community.

If you are interested in attending or are looking for more information, please email vicki@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or call on 07964 859932.

East Renfrewshire Local Information

 

Macmillan Cancer Support

Are you a good listener? Would you like to help people living with cancer and their loved ones?

We are looking for support and information volunteers for our Macmillan drop-in in Barrhead.

For more information please get in touch on 07867 441486 / email: macmillan@ercultureandleisure.org – or pop in to one of our drop-in sessions for more details.

Changes to Care Charges: What is happening? 

People who get help at home (not in a care home), currently do not pay for this help.  This is called non-residential care.  In some other parts of Scotland, people do have to pay for some care. These are called chargeable services.   What might change?  The Council decided that no one will have to pay any new charges until 1 April 2026.  The Council want to talk to people with chargeable services before anything changes, so they can explain what it might mean for you and help you get ready   What happens next?  The Council wants to speak to lots of people.  This will help them:  Check if the changes are fair  They will update something called an EFRIA.  That means Equalities, Fairness and Rights Impact Assessment.  This helps the Council make sure your views on charging are shared with decision makers. Help people get all the money they can  They will check if you can get more money or benefits.  This is called income maximisation.  Work out how many people might pay, and how much They will look at how much people might have to pay, based on how much money they have.  They will work with you to do a financial assessment.  You will only pay towards your care if you can afford it. This video explains the financial assessment process The HSCP have made a video relating to changes in care charges which takes people through the financial assessment process step by step which you can view here: https://youtu.be/TnUTCOPLJfQ They also have a survey asking people why you may have chosen to do a financial assessment, or not – https://getinvolved.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/social-care-charges  
  We are reaching out to ask for your support in promoting the Carers UK State of Caring Survey 2025, now open until 10 August 2025.   This annual survey is the UK’s most comprehensive research into the lives and experiences of unpaid carers. It plays a vital role in shaping policy and improving support services by providing robust evidence to governments, local authorities, and health and social care providers.   We’re encouraging all unpaid carers to take part and share their experiences. Their voices are essential in driving change and ensuring that carers’ needs are recognised and addressed.   We would be grateful if you could: • Share the survey with your networks, especially unpaid carers. • Highlight it in newsletters, social media, or local forums.   People can take the survey here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QN5QWF7    Thank you for helping us ensure carers voices are heard.