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.

 

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Tommy Whitelaw, National Lead from Person Centred Voices shared his caring journey and how we can all make a difference by having meaningful conversations.

The event was further enhanced by Amanda and Jen, Newton House Care Home, sharing their knowledge and expertise.

We also had Mark Mulhern, Carers Lead, Health and Social Care Partnership who shared his experiences and responded to questions.

Crucially, we heard directly from carers- Susanne, Lindsey, Irene, Liz and Gladys.

To view some of the videos, please click here: ………

1. Liz https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFTUqj9XE/91VQqGS_Eqdb433vnxBoFQ/watch?utm_content=DAGFTUqj9XE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

2. Lindsey  https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFTWRtp5U/-uEbBanrPrteqSs-SDJEnQ/watch?utm_content=DAGFTWRtp5U&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

3. Irene https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFTMvkKOQ/KV-clfaDbOnuYyQKaWzAZA/watch?utm_content=DAGFTMvkKOQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor


4. Susanne https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFaCJKW3A/4RkpQjde23nNLOmepUWFtA/watch?utm_content=DAGFaCJKW3A&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

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Read our report findings & recommendations https://carers.org/AdultCarerSurvey2023

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Come along to our short breaks info session to hear about what different types of breaks from caring there are, and what breaks you can access through the East Renfrewshire Carer’s Centre.

This event will be beneficial for people who haven’t accessed a break with us before, or would like to know more about it. It is also a chance for us to hear what breaks would be meaningful for you and what barriers might be holding you back from taking a break from caring.

The event will be held on Tuesday 22nd of August, with an in-person event held at Sandler’s Cottage, Eastwood Park at 11am, and an online event on Zoom at 7pm.

If you would like to attend either of these sessions, please contact Danielle at 07546 695014 or email danielle@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk.

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However, there are some helpful benefits which are available for pensioners and older people. There are a range of social security payments, including Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, Attendance Allowance and Older Carers.

The information session will be on Wednesday 9th August, at 10.30am, at our office in Sandler’s Cottage, No 2 Eastwood Park, Giffnock. Questions will also be welcome at the end of the session.

If you could email amber@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk to let us know you are coming by Monday 7th August that would be great. We need to know how many people will be attending so we have enough seating.
Looking forward to seeing some of you there ⭐

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If you would like to find out information that could help you as a carer, please join us for this informal session. We will be discussing Adult Carer Support Plans, care assessments, hospital discharge, self directed support and other topics relating to support for you and the person you care for. It is also an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

If you would like to attend, please email:claire@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk

Next session: Tues 15th August 2023 10am- 11.30am

Where: Sandler’s Cottage, Eastwood Park, G46 7JS

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Kirsten Oswald MP came to visit us at the East Renfrewshire Carers Centre last week, to hear more about the work we do to support carers in our local area.

It was great to be able to share with Kirsten Oswald more about our Dementia Walking Buddies project which will be very beneficial to participants, carers and the fantastic volunteers who work on the project. Farah, pictured, is the volunteer coordinator for this project, which will provide some additional support for those with caring responsibilities.

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This year’s theme is ‘recognising and supporting carers in the community’
It is vital that unpaid carers are identified, know their rights and get all the support that they are entitled to!

Check out these short animations made by MECOPP – Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project, on what it means to be a carer, how your local carer’s centre can help you, and how to access short breaks 🌟

The videos have been made in several other languages too, such as Cantonese, Urdu, Polish, Arabic and many more. To view it in a different language please click HERE 

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Established back in 2001, the Charity has grown to play a leading role in supporting Carers and Young Carers who care for family and friends who are ill, frail, disabled or have mental ill health or harmful alcohol or drug use.

The centre offers a range of services including the provision of information, benefits advice, emotional and practical support.

With effective partnership working with the East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership, East Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Government, our team deliver a range of innovative services to respond to carer’s needs and make life that bit better.

Gordon McGuinness, a trustee and current Chair of the Charity volunteers, explains his motivation “Having experienced caring responsibilities myself, I recognise the incredible work and difference the Centre’s staff can make” and added “We really want to strengthen the Board and bring greater insight and experience into how we shape services and innovate to best meet our users needs. One of the best ways to achieve that is to bring volunteers with caring experience onto the Board. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and I’d encourage people that are interested to come along and speak to the Board and find out more about the incredible work of the Centre, it isn’t an onerous commitment, but is hugely rewarding!”

As part of Carer’s Week the Board will hold an Open Evening to engage with potential volunteers and for them to meet staff members on Wednesday the 8th of June, 6.30pm at Sandlers Cottage, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, G46 7JS.

If you would like to attend to find out more, please email:

claire@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk or lorraine@eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk

or phone 0141 638 4888.

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The day was a huge success, with guest speakers from Carers Trust, Young Scot, Healthier Minds and different universities in Scotland!

Kevin Dailly, our Young Carers coordinator and educational worker who organised the event, told the Barrhead News:
“The theme for Young Carers Action Day this year was ‘Make time for young carers’. “With this in mind we invited guest speakers along from organisations, both locally and nationally, to speak about the support they can provide
young carers.”

A big thanks to all the speakers who came along, and our Young Carers Team- Kevin, Abbie and Devon- who put on a great day and raised awareness of the difficulties faced by Young Carers 🌟 #YoungCarersActionDay

You can read the article below:

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