Our project was Support For All. We had planned to offer Friday and Saturday sessions at our centre for all our registered families. However, due to COVID we had to change our plans and offer activities to our families in the community.
We delivered Au-some Animators a Friday evening club for young people aged 13-18 with autism, giving their parents two hours of regular short breaks from caring a week.
Taking place in the Artlink studio in Mayfield, Midlothian this club supports autistic school aged young people to socialise around their interests.
We delivered a day-long online Camp in the Cloud family camp on Saturday 30th August which served 11 children living with serious illness, and 27 of their family members from Scotland. We brought fun, respite and connection to families at a time of crisis.
We ran a monthly social event, each with a different themed activity. This was open to the carers and families of our TEENS+ students, as well as the students themselves. We offered flexible options for attendance/participation.
We ran our Nurture Group which is for young adults with mild disabilities and experiences of ACEs takes place one a month where group members participate in activities aimed at preventative emotional health and wellbeing, in a safe and secure environment that allows them to be their selves.
Creative Companions provided short breaks opportunities to Gypsy/Traveller carers in Edinburgh/Lothians, Perth & Kinross and Argyll. Plans for family days & residentials were severely impacted by COVID-19 & replaced by online activities, afternoon teas, guided pamper sessions and Festive packs.
The project involved taking groups of carers to rural and remote rural parts of Scotland to take part in a supported residential short break. Activities included Forest Walks, Astronomy, Art Workshops, Village Hall Cinema nights, Singing and music, Island tours and exploring the area.
‘Makers on tour’ provided mutually beneficial respite to carers of learning disabled adults aged 21-35 through community creative activity booked by a simple phone call.
We partnered with community organisations who could continue to include cared for adults to generate more respite for their carers
A range of short breaks activities were run for 140 carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian over the festive period 2019/2020. These included ‘Surviving Christmas’ workshops, complementary therapy, self-directed break vouchers, group trips, a SMART group meeting and events at the Edinburgh Carers’ Hub.
Siblings & Young Carers Camp 2020 was a virtual camp experience for 48 young carers which took place Tuesday 14th – Thursday 16th July 2020. This project brought the magic, connectivity and respite of camp to young carers in Scotland in the safety of their homes during lockdown.