Carers' Connection - Aberdeen Carers Support Service newsletter July 2021

Carers’ Connection July 2021

Welcome to your latest carers’ newsletter, and how exciting it is to be bringing you the first one to feature the service’s new logo, name and colour branding.

Two online PATH sessions were held for carers to work on the initial ideas, then all carers we support had the chance to vote for their favourites through our survey.

It has been such a great start to our coproduction journey together and I look forward to working with you as we go on to develop the service further. We have started to establish a focus group where carers will feed into service delivery and the development of our Virtual Carers Centre, but we would love some more members. We hope to meet every three months, so if you could spare a bit of your precious time please get in touch.

groups throughout the year. Carers who attended the online sessions also fed back that meeting virtually was helpful for them as they didn’t have to spend time travelling, so again this is something we will continue to offer alongside faceto-face meetings (when we are able to resume). If you would like to have a particular subject covered or see a specific type of group started up then we are here to listen, so please just get in touch to discuss this with us.

Alongside our new branding above we have featured one of the two wonderful winning photographs from our Creative Art competition and the other winning photo will be featured on the next cover. We also had a great poetry winner, featured on page 18, and I would like to thank everyone for their input.

We had some great events during Carers Week in June with a selection of different support sessions. At our initial PATH session, feedback was given on how important it is to have things to look forward to throughout the year, not just during Carers Week. We have taken this on board and will continue to offer online

Joanna McPherson Service Coordinator 1

Meet the team

Joanna McPherson Service Coordinator

Andrew Falconer Team Leader Tel: 07917 521268 Email: andrew.falconer@quarriers.org.uk

Susan Middler Digital and Community Inclusion Worker Tel: 07917 521886 Email: susan.middler@quarriers.org.uk

Helen Donald Carers Contact Centre Worker Tel: 01224 914036 Email: helen.donald@quarriers.org.uk

Yvonne Matthew Administrator Tel: 01224 914036 Email: yvonne.matthew@quarriers.org.uk

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Meet the team

Louisa Donaldson Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521885 Email: louisa.donaldson@ quarriers.org.uk

Elaine Dukes Parent Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521852 Email: elaine.dukes@ quarriers.org.uk

Donna Lawie Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521879 Email: donna.lawie@ quarriers.org.uk

Arlene Malcolm Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521871 Email: arlene.malcolm@ quarriers.org.uk

Teresa Massie Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521853 Email: teresa.massie@ quarriers.org.uk

Hazel Reid Carer Advisor Tel: 07917 521874 Email: hazel.reid@ quarriers.org.uk

Natalia Beaton Family Wellbeing Worker (Health and Wellbeing) Tel: 07917 052551 Email: natalia.beaton@quarriers.org.uk 3

Laura Mitchell Family Wellbeing Worker (Respitality) Tel: 07917 051489 Email: laura.mitchell@quarriers.org.uk

Staff updates - welcome to the team Natalia Beaton I am so excited to have joined the Aberdeen Carers Support Service as a Family Wellbeing Worker. As part of my role, I will be undertaking research on the needs of carers as we recover from COVID-19. I am looking forward to developing the services we provide and hearing all about the changes and challenges that you, as carers, have faced, and maybe some positives that you have discovered, but most of all what kind of help and support we can offer you going forward. Although my career background is in haulage, I have always prided myself in finding solutions that work for the individuals involved, no matter the problem.

Away from work I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my dogs. I love days spent in the garden, either with the BBQ or doing the weeding. My life experiences have shown me that you never know what the future holds for

anyone, but if you can lend a hand when it is needed the rewards gained from supporting people are endless.

I look forward to getting to know you all better in the future.

Laura Mitchell I am very excited to have joined Quarriers’ Aberdeen Carers Support Service as a Family Wellbeing Worker (Respitality). I have previously worked in the oil and gas sector as an HR Logistics Co-ordinator. That role allowed me to interact with a vast array of people, which is something I enjoy doing.

Having cared for a family member, I am fully aware of what a caring role entails and how difficult it can be.

I have made use of respite care when we all needed to rest and recuperate. Coming back from respite fully charged made such a difference.

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Quarriers Epilepsy Community Outreach We welcome Naomi Stevenson, a Quarriers Epilepsy Community Outreach Worker who will be working from our office in Albert Street.

I have been working for Quarriers Epilepsy Community Outreach (formerly Fieldwork Service) for nearly seven years.

I started my career as a nurse and have since worked in various areas of the care sector.

I enjoy being with my family, music, and now that the boys have flown the nest, I love going out on motorbike trips.

I have always had a keen interest in epilepsy and when this job arose, it ticked all the boxes.

As a chatterbox, I like meeting new people and sharing information and experiences. I enjoy being involved in our support group. It is heart-warming to see people who have never met sharing experiences in social situations.

Historically we have had many fun days out which included abseiling, picnics, BBQs, pool tournaments and family fun days. Fingers crossed, we will soon all be able to meet up again and start planning more adventures.

In certain circumstances, I can visit you at home or at a mutually agreed place to discuss your needs. However, I am always at the end of the phone.

Tel: 07939 173970 Email: naomi.stevenson@quarriers.org. uk

Newsletter

Quarriers Epilepsy Community Outreach offers a range of services for people living with epilepsy, as well as their carers and professionals, including:

In our PATH session, carers told us they would prefer postal copies of the newsletter, so we have taken the decision to post it out to you going forward, but if you would prefer to receive your copy by email, please let us know.

• up-to-date information on epilepsy • support for people to make informed choices • help, information and support to individuals of all ages and their families • clinical liaison with healthcare professionals • advocacy to help people with epilepsy have their voices heard • training in epilepsy awareness with individuals and groups • training in administration of emergency rescue medication 5

New service name and logo

We held a Carers’ PATH session in May where Ryan, our guest facilitator, worked with carers to find out what they would like from their service and Sharon, a talented graphic artist who works with Quarriers, incorporated the thoughts and ideas into the amazing graphic, which you can see above.

What carers said about the session:

“

“ “

Fantastic, worthwhile – a lot of good will come out of this.

”

I’m pleased that I’ve contributed.

I feel enthusiastic about this, and listened to.

”

”

During the session we gathered thoughts from carers on a new logo, branding, and name for your co-produced service. This was followed up by a session in June where carers again joined us to look at the first stage mock-ups and draw up a shortlist of their preferred choices which we then sent out to all carers to vote on.

We are thrilled to have a new name and logo chosen by carers, and these can be seen on the front page of this newsletter.

We would like to thank those carers who gave up their precious time to join the PATH sessions and provide such valuable input, as well as all the carers who took the time to vote in the survey.

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Virtual Carers Centre launched

Visit us at https://www.quarriers.org.uk/ vcc

We will also explore the feasibility of incorporating a chat function onto the site.

In June we launched the first stage of the Virtual Carers Centre website, a hub of information and resources for carers of all ages which we hope will become a one-stop-shop providing all the information you might find helpful in your caring role.

Supporting you to know your rights as a carer is an important part of the role we play. We want unpaid carers to be aware of their rights and entitlements, and to know that there are people out there who can support them, regardless of their needs.

We will always listen to what you tell us you want, so we will continue to develop the site, adding new information, resources and details of local services.

The website will always be shaped by the people we support.

We would like to hear from you if there is anything in particular you would like to see added to the website, so if you can find the time please have a look at the Aberdeen section and get in touch if you have any ideas around what you would like to see included.

Our experience tells us that unpaid carers sometimes need information immediately to help with unexpected demands at any time of the day.

Access to our office base can also prove difficult for some carers, and we recognise that time available in any given day is limited, so we want to provide a comprehensive resource for national, regional and local information.

You can also stay up to date with all the latest news on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ aberdeencarerssupportservice 7

Dementia Awareness with Age Scotland The initial response from those engaged with so far has been very positive, and this is partly because the Dementia Training Team has made the initial approach, rather than just waiting for someone to book a place themselves.

Some of the existing barriers they are working to overcome include: • language • lack of or limited online access • experience of culturally inappropriate or unhelpful previous agency contact • dementia is not recognised as a condition in some cultures • lack of trust in some services and agencies • accepting state support or intervention is not part of some cultures • financial considerations • barriers and particular requirements are culturally distinct

Age Scotland’s Dementia Training Team have recently started working to develop practical and positive ways to engage more effectively with people in minority ethnic communities, and with those people who have experienced poverty.

Within the context of increasing rates of dementia in Scotland, it is both important and useful for people, particularly carers, families, and volunteers, to have some knowledge about dementia.

Having more awareness about the condition helps both those who live with dementia, and carers and families, to live better with dementia, and improve the quality of life for all.

Age Scotland’s Dementia Training Team can: • listen and find out what might be helpful for you • adapt the content of their training material to suit your needs • arrange for materials to be translated into your preferred language • through their Train the Trainer programme, train people in your local community who can then deliver training themselves • have a conversation with you to explore doing something that they haven’t done yet, and that you might find helpful • provide dementia awareness training, training about carers’ rights, tailored training for volunteers and befrienders and lots more • provide the time needed to engage properly, and to help build the capacity needed.

An underrepresentation of people from minority ethnic communities It has become increasingly apparent to members of the Dementia Training Team that people from minority ethnic communities, and people who may have experienced poverty, are underrepresented on their training courses.

In the early stages of this initiative, the team have been approaching community groups and charities who work directly with the people who they need to reach.

Nevertheless, they would like to engage as widely as possible. It is recognised that the usual method of booking a training place, online through Eventbrite, falls far short of what is required even to begin engaging successfully with underrepresented groups.

If you would like to explore how you can work with them, or if you would like to participate in training, please contact Nigel Lack, Dementia Awareness Training Officer, on 0131 668 0399 or nigel.lack@ agescotland.org.uk.

If you know anyone who might be interested in this initiative, please contact the team using the details at the end of this article.

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Respitality

We are very excited to have welcomed Laura Mitchell to the team as a Family Wellbeing Worker (Respitality).

Coordinated nationally by Shared Care Scotland, the Respitality project works with local carers’ organisations to support them to deliver the scheme in their area, and the aim is to provide a short, vital break from routine for unpaid carers in Scotland when they need it most.

This is achieved by connecting carers’ organisations with hospitality, tourism, and leisure businesses who are willing to donate breaks free of charge.

Being an unpaid carer can have positive and rewarding aspects, but it can also be isolating as well as physically and mentally demanding. For a range of reasons, including financial pressures, carer concerns, and limited time, it is often difficult for carers to take the time out to fully recharge, or to spend quality time on their own or with family and friends.

After a Respitality break, carers regularly report improvements in their health and wellbeing, their relationships with their loved ones and increased confidence to continue in their caring role. The breaks are not means-tested, therefore your income and savings are not taken into account. Other factors may be considered to determine priority, though - for example, when you last had a break.

Examples of a break could be an overnight stay in a hotel, a voucher for a meal at a restaurant or a day pass to a leisure club or spa. There are lots of possibilities, and you are welcome to bring your cared for person on the break if you wish.

All breaks donated to Respitality are free, but there may be costs involved such as transport and food.

If you are registered with the service and wish to find out about a break through the Respitality project, please get in touch.

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Carers Week 2021: making caring visible and valued Carers Week, the annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, is over for another year. We would like to say a big thank you to all the carers and professionals who gave up their time to attend and make it the success it was.

Advocacy and your rights We kicked the week off with a session on advocacy and your rights, with special guest Allyson Flockhart from Advocacy Service Aberdeen. She explained that ASA staff can meet with carers to provide advice and support around various issues, and can help carers to find placements for their cared for person, whether they are a child or an adult. They are also available to accompany people to things like: • Solicitor’s appointments

time out from their caring role, if possible, and to keep active by going for walks at the beach or playing sports. Unfortunately this hasn’t been easy over the last 16 months due to COVID-19 restrictions, but we were heartened to hear that one of the men had recently been able to hold his seven-month-old great-granddaughter for the first time. Awww!

• Court hearings, for instance around guardianship.

Power of Attorney and Guardianship

• Mental health tribunals

Guest Speaker Kathleen Taylor from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland joined us to provide advice on Power of Attorney and Guardianship. The MWCS was set up to protect and promote the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia and related conditions.

• Children’s hearings • School meetings Allyson gave an example of a carer not being listened to in relation to their cared for’s hospital discharge. ASA staff can step in to act as intermediaries between hospital staff and carers in this instance, to ensure that the carer’s voice is heard.

In Scotland, there are several pieces of law that ensure people with these conditions get appropriate treatment and have their rights respected. MWCS has duties under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. They monitor the acts to see how the law is being used. They also help people who receive care and treatment, as well as carers, to understand the law and put it into practice. They’re not solicitors, so they can’t give legal advice, but they can help by looking at how best to apply legal and ethical principles to individuals’ care and treatment.

If you feel you would benefit from any of the services provided, or would like to find out more, you can contact ASA in the following ways: Website: https://www.advocacy.org.uk/ Email: asa@advocacy.org.uk Tel: 01224 332314

Men’s group Unpaid carers are generally perceived as being female, however statistics show that around 40% are male. We held a men’s group session where carers were able to chat and share advice with each other about how to look after their wellbeing.

They encouraged each other to take some

To read more about the many services they provide, visit https://www.mwcscot. org.uk/ 10

Carers Week 2021 (continued)

Afternoon with Fiona Kennedy

in a bid to keep variety theatre alive. He brought some of the top acts up from London to the Tivoli, including Tony Hancock, Frankie Vaughan and the Billy Cotton Band Show. Fiona fondly recalled appearing on stage there herself at the tender age of nine as an assistant to the Fairy Godmother in the panto Cinderella.

“Really enjoyed this afternoon. More please!”

“Thanks so much for the entertainment, and music of the highest quality.”

“This really made my day.”

These are just a few of the comments we received following our Afternoon with Fiona Kennedy event, which was a big hit with carers and their cared fors.

We extend our grateful thanks to Fiona and Frank for providing such a great afternoon of entertainment!

During lockdown, Fiona has generously been giving up her time to put on free weekly concerts. Those of you who said you would like to hear more can find these on YouTube and Fiona’s Facebook page.

Fiona sang beautifully, as always, and was accompanied by the great Frank Thomson on accordion. Carers enjoyed a variety of songs ranging from Wild Mountain Thyme and The Skye Boat Song to Que Sera Sera, and Frank regaled them with stories of his Balmoral days when he regularly performed with the Jack Sinclair Band for the Royal Family. One of his fondest memories was of playing at a ball to celebrate The Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. Despite her great age and two hip replacements she was still able to take part in Scottish country dances such as the Gay Gordons. During the evening she said, “Mr Thomson, could you play that dance where you go ‘bang bang’?” The dance was The St Bernard’s Waltz, and Frank said at the age of one hundred she could be forgiven for forgetting what it was called.

An Evening of Relaxation This event provided those who attended with mindfulness and breathing techniques as well as advice on which kind of activities can calm the mind and lower blood pressure. Christine, who hosted the session, suggested colouring books, origami, reading, and jigsaws as some of the best ways to feel relaxed.

She also spoke about drawing zentangles, a fun way of reducing feelings of stress and anxiety through doodling beautiful patterns. People drawing these have described feelings of selflessness, effortlessness and timelessness. Basically, the experience of meditation. If any of you have drawn zentangles we’d love to see them!

Fiona was not short of a story or two herself, talking about her late father, singer Calum Kennedy, having bought Aberdeen’s Tivoli theatre in the 1960s 11

Carers Week 2021 (continued)

Craftivism Look in this mirror and what do you see?

Could it be a carer looking back at me?

Arlene, one of our Carer Advisors, led a session of Craftivism, a concept that combines craft and activism with the aim of harnessing creative powers to raise awareness of social issues.

Carers decorated mirror templates and attached tags with messages, with the intention being that they would hang their mirrors somewhere others might notice them, read the message and perhaps even recognise themselves as carers. You can see some examples in the collage above, and here is one that our lovely carer, Yvonne, decorated and pinned on the hospital noticeboard in the hope that many people would see it.

in supporting society’s most vulnerable people.

We would like to keep the momentum going over the next few months, so please get in touch if you would like to join us in becoming craftivists and we will send you a mirror template so that you can create and share your own unique design!

By placing these mirrors in prominent places we want to shine a light on unpaid carers and the important role you play 12

Carers Week 2021 (continued)

Scams and fraud

We have a winner!

Carers Week 2021 was rounded off by a talk on scams and fraud, and The Herbert Protocol. We were joined by representatives from Police Scotland who gave advice on what to look out for and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

The names of all carers who attended a Carers Week event were entered into a draw to win a delicious takeaway Afternoon Tea from The Bread Maker, a commercially focused social enterprise in the Rosemount area of Aberdeen producing high-quality bread and confectionery, whose produce is sold in some of the top restaurants and coffee shops within Aberdeen and the shire.

The purpose of their business activities is to provide meaningful training and educational and social activities to adults with learning disabilities who are excluded from mainstream society.

Carers were shown a video on how easy it is to be drawn into a scam, and then learned the story behind The Herbert Protocol, an information-gathering tool to assist the police in finding a vulnerable person who has gone missing as quickly as possible. It was named after George Herbert, a war veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia in a care home.

We would like to say a big thank you to The Bread Maker for their valuable support. It gives us great pleasure to announce that the winner of the Afternoon Tea was Margaret Gauld, who was happy to share her prize with her daughters Hazel Stewart and Liesl Megginson, pictured above.

Congratulations, Margaret. Our mouths are watering!

Further information on these topics can be found online: • https://www.scotland.police.uk/ advice-and-information/scams-andfrauds/ • https://www.agespace.org/herbertprotocol 13

Care for a walk?

Carers who attended our PATH session in May identified the opportunity to go for group walks as something they would like to have. A series of Health Walks are available to book through Sport Aberdeen, led and supported by their friendly, trained Health Walk leaders, who want to share their love of being active with others. For information on days, times and starting points please see www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/activities/ active-lifestyles/walk-aberdeen or contact Brian Harrison, Health Walks Coordinator at bharrison@sportaberdeen. co.uk or call 01224 047928.

Ideally, participants should have gone on a Health Walk before taking part in this training.

After attending this course, participants will be able to: • outline the main benefits of becoming more active • describe a Health Walk and list what makes a suitable route for a Health Walk • outline the roles and responsibilities of a Walk Leader • risk assess a walking route noting potential hazards and the remedial action required to ensure the walk is safe for walkers.

Carers’ Walking Group

All course materials and resources for running a health walk are included free of charge.

If you are interested in taking part in free online training to become a Health Walk leader with a view to setting up a walking group specifically for carers, please get in touch with us and let’s see if we can make it happen! The next date for this training will be Wednesday 1 September, however Sport Aberdeen has kindly offered to work with us to accommodate your needs if that date isn’t suitable. Just get in touch to let us know and we can arrange this for you.

Step Out September Sticking with the walking theme, Step Out September is a partnership initiative between Sport Aberdeen, Bon Accord Care, ACVO and Volunteer Aberdeen, and Aberdeen City Council to encourage people across the city to take part in safe, local opportunities in September.

Training days generally run as follows: part one, an online workshop, will be delivered from 9.30am - 1pm followed by a break for lunch and travel, then part two, a practical session, will take place from 2.30-3.30pm, meeting outside Westburn Outdoor Centre, Westburn Park, Aberdeen.

A range of gentle social walks and talks are planned where you can connect with other people both in and around your local area and in some of the city’s open spaces. You don’t need any special equipment, just take a jacket and wear your comfy shoes.

If you use a wheelchair or walking aids, or if you are pushing a buggy, go along for a blether.

Training will cover: • the benefits of staying active • what is and is not considered a Health Walk • designing a good walking route and ensuring it is safe • the responsibilities of a walk leader.

The organisers are especially keen to reach those who have lost confidence and felt isolated due to the pandemic so, if this is you or someone you know, contact SWSC@aberdeencity. gov.uk to be added to the Step Out September mailing list. If you don’t have an email address, please give us a call at the office and we will do our best to keep you updated.

The training will be delivered by a Paths for All accredited trainer following a programme adapted from their classroom-based training and is suitable for volunteers aged eighteen and over.

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Fairer Aberdeen

Recently, we applied for and were awarded funding via the Fairer Aberdeen Coronavirus Pandemic Hardship Fund.

together to deliver early intervention initiatives and targeted support we can help those in need now and in the future and work towards achieving our goal of Aberdeen being a city where everyone can prosper.”

The aim of the fund is to help people at increased risk due to the pandemic, including people living in the most deprived areas, people living in households on low incomes, younger people, people with a disability, minority ethnic households and households with children.

“Thanks for the support from Quarriers.

I received the gift card this morning. This will be very useful trying to keep cupboards stocked up for summer holidays with the boys. Really appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

We used our share of the funding to provide supermarket and fuel top-up vouchers to support people who we felt were in most need. Unfortunately, we were unable to help everyone this time around, but there may be a further opportunity for funding, and if you didn’t benefit this time and are struggling with food and heating costs, please make sure your Carer Advisor is aware of this.

“I’ve received a gift voucher for £100. Thank you very much. It will come in very handy just now.”

Councillor Jenny Laing, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council and Chair of the Fairer Aberdeen Board, said “I am so pleased that we have been able to support so many local charities and community organisations in these extremely difficult times through the Fairer Aberdeen Coronavirus Pandemic Fund. Aberdeen City Council and partners, including community representatives in Fairer Aberdeen, are committed to tackling poverty and deprivation which is a key objective of the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). By working

2 “What a lovely surprise I got when I opened the letter. Thank you so much for putting my name forward for this funding.”

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Food Train Connects Food Train is a registered charity, voluntary organisation and social enterprise. Since 1995 they have been making daily life easier for older people, delivering groceries to those who are over 65 and no longer able to manage independently, helping them to eat well and live well.

Their Food Train Connects shopping service matches each of their customers with a volunteer living nearby willing to support them with their shopping. The volunteer collects a shopping list on an agreed suitable day, does the shopping and then delivers it to the customer’s home. Where the shopping is purchased from can be mutually agreed between the customer and volunteer, depending on what stores are available in the area and what the customer’s preference is.

help with unpacking, or if the customer has mobility issues.

To access this service there is a £1 membership charge, renewable annually, and a £5 delivery charge per shopping trip to allow Food Train to cover their administration costs and volunteer expenses. Food Train deals with all payments, therefore no money changes hands between volunteer and customer.

Food Train has a strict vetting process for all volunteers involving a PVG criminal record check, ID check, induction session, and ongoing training and support.

It is entirely up to the customer whether they invite the volunteer into their home.

If the customer would rather accept groceries at the door that is fine, but there may be reasons why the volunteer would need to enter the home, for instance to

For more information, call the Food Train office on 0800 304 7924 or visit https://www.foodtrainconnects.org.uk/

Our Aberdeen: Tunes and Chat Our Aberdeen is a programme of free, dementia-friendly – although not dementia exclusive – events for those aged 16 and over that encourage people to share their stories and feel part of a community. These sessions take place in the spacious Learning Suite on the ground floor of Aberdeen Art Gallery, which has its own accessible toilet.

Participants are welcome to bring a supporting person, and tickets can be booked at https://thelittleboxoffice.com/ aagm/event/view/137114

Join community musician Sarah Eggleton on Wednesday 25 and/or Thursday 26 August from 10.30am 12 noon. In each session, Sarah will introduce the attendees to a couple of artworks and play recordings of music inspired by those artworks. It has been found that this type of workshop encourages conversation, memory sharing and friendship through the common love of music.

For carers who are physically unable to visit the Art Gallery, please get in touch with us as we may be able to arrange an online session for you at a later date.

Please bring your own water - musicmaking can be thirsty work!

If you have any questions about attending the sessions in person, please email AAGMLearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk or call 03000 200 293 and press option 3 for Museums and Galleries.

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Competition results We would like to thank all those who submitted entries to our Creative Art competition and say a big congratulations to the worthy winners.

Your prize vouchers are on their way to you!

Colin Moffat

We absolutely love the image on the front cover, taken by Colin Moffat, which has won joint first prize in our recent photo competition. It is of a fulmar in flight taken from the cliff path at Cove Bay. Comments from the voting team included “very uplifting”, “conveys a sense of

freedom” and “majestic”. Here is the proud photographer with his winning entry. Well done, Colin!

Colin is thrilled to have won. He said, “I’m really chuffed! I think the photo competition was a great idea, and I would like to thank the organisers.”

Alice Chong

Alice Chong, whose entry came joint first in the competition, submitted this super photograph of birds relaxing on the River Don, entitled Let’s Have a Break. We love the photo’s relaxed feel. Feedback from the voting team ranged from “a sense of continuous flow” and “peaceful and

tranquil” to “gives a feeling of space”.

Congratulations, Alice!

Alice was equally thrilled, saying, “Wonderful news! Thank you very much to the people who voted for my photo.

It is an honour for me to have my photo featured in the newsletter.”

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Competition results (continued) George Lindsay We were blown away by George Lindsay’s brilliant, thought-provoking poem, A Carer’s View, which is the welldeserved winner of our Creative Writing competition. It is a very moving piece of writing and gives a real insight into the life of a carer. We’re not ashamed to say that it made us shed a tear or two.

George is very happy to have won, but is humble about his piece of writing, saying, “I paid more attention to sports at school than academics.” We don’t agree George and, judging from the lovely comments about your poem made on our Facebook page, neither do many others!

A Carer’s View I don’t know, should I laugh or cry, Be ecstatic, or crawl up and die, I don’t know, should I look and listen, Be empathetic, or damn the position, I don’t know, should I ask for aid, Be a hero, or just afraid, I don’t know, should I stay or go, The head says yes, the heart says no, I don’t know, is there a God up there, Yet still I offer a help-me prayer, I don’t know, am I doing things right, At least I’m trying, with my loved one’s plight, I don’t know, what the future will bring, As caring’s an art, a delicate thing, I do know this, while loved ones may falter, Carers are giants on society’s altar

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Online carers groups We are running online groups for unpaid carers via Microsoft Teams and Zoom. If you are interested in joining any of these online groups, let us know and we will send you the relevant link(s). If you have any questions about joining or accessing any of the sessions, please let us know and we can support you.

Date and time

Session

August Tuesday 3 August 10am-12noon

Carers café – Come along to a Zoom meeting for a cuppa and a chat and share any ideas you might have about themes for future cafés.

Drop in any time between 10am and 12 noon.

Friday 6 August 2-2.45pm

Adult carers mindfulness - Explore relaxation and de-stress tools to assist you in your daily life and beyond.

Monday 9 August 11am – 12noon

Monday men’s group – A group for those in an unpaid caring role who might wish to meet others in a similar situation. Share your knowledge of local support and networks.

Tuesday 10 August 10-11am

Parent carer café - An online group for parents supporting a child with additional support needs. For parents in an unpaid caring role to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Wednesday 18 August 1.30-2.30pm

Tea and talk – Adult carers group. Get together over a cuppa, unwind, make new friends, and stay connected. Meet other carers from the Aberdeenshire service.

Thursday 19 August 2-4pm

Carers catch up – A group for unpaid carers supporting someone living with dementia to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Friday 20 August 2-2.45pm

Adult carers mindfulness - Explore relaxation and de-stress tools to assist you in your daily life and beyond.

Tuesday 31 August 3-4pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

Tuesday 31 August 7-8pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

September Wednesday 1 September 1.30-2.30pm

Tea and talk – Adult carers group. Get together over a cuppa, unwind, make new friends, and stay connected. Meet other carers from the Aberdeenshire service.

Tuesday 7 September 10-11am

Parent carer café - An online group for parents supporting a child with additional support needs. For parents in an unpaid caring role to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Tuesday 7 September 10am - 12noon

Carers café – Come along to a Zoom meeting for a cuppa and a chat and share any ideas you might have about themes for future cafés.

Drop in any time between 10am and 12 noon.

Monday 13 September 11am - 12noon

Monday men’s group – A group for those in an unpaid caring role who might wish to meet others in a similar situation. Share your knowledge of local support and networks.

19

Date and time

Session

Thursday 16 September 2-4pm

Carers catch up – A group for unpaid carers supporting someone living with dementia to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Friday 24 September 2-2.45pm

Adult carers mindfulness - Explore relaxation and de-stress tools to assist you in your daily life and beyond.

Tuesday 28 September 3-4pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

Tuesday 28 September 7-8pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

October Tuesday 5 October 10am - 12 noon

Carers café – Come along to a Zoom meeting for a cuppa and a chat and share any ideas you might have about themes for future cafés.

Drop in any time between 10am and 12 noon.

Wednesday 6 October 1.30-2.30pm

Tea and talk – Adult carers group. Get together over a cuppa, unwind, make new friends, and stay connected. Meet other carers from the Aberdeenshire service.

Monday 11 October 11am - 12noon

Monday men’s group – A group for those in an unpaid caring role who might wish to meet others in a similar situation. Share your knowledge of local support and networks.

Tuesday 12 October 10-11am

Parent carer café - An online group for parents supporting a child with additional support needs. For parents in an unpaid caring role to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Thursday 21 October 2-4pm

Carers catch up – A group for unpaid carers supporting someone living with dementia to share information, skills and knowledge and support each other in a safe, nurturing environment.

Tuesday 26 October 3-4pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

Tuesday 26 October 7-8pm

Mental Health Inforum Carers Group - An online group for unpaid carers who support someone with a mental health condition.

Friday 29 October 2-2.45pm

Adult carers mindfulness - Explore relaxation and de-stress tools to assist you in your daily life and beyond.

How to book your place So that we can send you a link to the sessions, please email aberdeencarers@ quarriers.org.uk or call the service on 01224 914036 and leave your name and a contact number.

Aberdeen Carers Support Service 37 Albert Street, Aberdeen AB25 1XU Tel: 01224 914036 Email: aberdeencarers@quarriers.org.uk

www.quarriers.org.uk Quarriers is a registered Scottish Charity No SC001960