Community Champions for August are Renfrewshire Carers Centre

Renfrewshire Carers Centre

Renfrewshire Carers Centre provides information, advice and support to unpaid carers living in the Renfrewshire area. A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without their help.

It’s important to provide support for carers as taking on a caring role can mean facing a life of poverty, isolation, frustration, ill health and depression. Carers have to juggle their work life with their responsibilities as carers, with many having to lose income and job opportunities. This can in turn lead to them feeling isolated, ill and struggling to cope. Thus organisations like Renfrewshire Carers Centre play a vital role in combating these problems and making sure carers can continue to do their good work.

Here’s just a sample of the impressive range of services the Centre provides:

Information and Advice

The Centre offers carers information on a wide range of topics, such as carers’ rights, welfare benefits, housing issues, care assessments, accessible holidays and a lot more. Their website (www.renfrewshirecarers.com) is packed with info and they also offer one-to-one sessions with their staff, information leaflets and packs.

Support Groups

Support groups allow carers to talk to each other, sharing their knowledge and discussing the news and issues that affect them. These social occasions also combat the social isolation that many carers feel.

Training

A range of training courses is provided for free by Renfrewshire Carers Centre. Their aim is to create opportunities for carers to improve their ability and confidence in taking care of someone and in turn improving their quality of life.

Respite Service

The Centre’s home based respite service is free and provides trained, committed and reliable respite workers who will take over a carer’s responsibilities and give them an invaluable break.

Young Carers Project

Children and young people who care for a member of their family are offered support with concerns at home and school. The Project offers group work and one-to-one support for young carers and aims to give them the chance to have some fun an opportunity to meet other young people in similar situations.

Volunteering

They are always eager to recruit new volunteers who will be given the opportunity to help other people, access training courses, learn new skills, socialise with other volunteers, become involved in the community, have fun and make new friends.

Volunteers can provide one-to-one befriending, support carers/young people within a group setting, help with the Centre’s telephone help line, provide admin support in the office or raise awareness about the Centre and the services they provide.

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Katie or Marie on 0141 887 3643.

Further information:

0141 887 3643
centre@renfrewshirecarers.co.uk
www.renfrewshirecarers.com

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