Falkirk FC and the Carers Centre sign new deal!

The Carers Centre has once again teamed up with The Falkirk Foundation and Falkirk Football Club to give those that are struggling the opportunity to come to games this season for free through the Support our Bairns initiative.

Thanks to the generosity of the Falkirk fanbase, carers in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire and their families will have the opportunity to attend Falkirk games at The Falkirk Stadium this season. 50 tickets will be made available to Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre, who will distribute them through the Respitality programme, ahead of every home game to give the carers and cared for in our community a chance to experience a match day and support their team without having to worry about the cost as well as the opportunity to have a break.

Falkirk Football Club matched what was raised, doubling the number of tickets and thus doubling the impact of the project and with gift aid added at no additional cost to fans, we were able to reach more of our community.

There is still an opportunity to be part of this as we are still raising funds for this initiative and if anyone would like to donate they can do so here: Donate with PayPal Giving Fund. Thank you to everyone who kindly donated to this worthwhile cause.

Interested in receiving matchday tickets for the 2023/24 season? Then sign-up here, or click the button below:

And if you’d like to hear what other carers had to say about receiving matchday tickets during the 2022/23 season, you can read our feedback report for last season here!

 

Falkirk Carers Strategy 2023 – 2026

Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership have now published the updated 2023 – 2026 version of the Falkirk Carers Strategy.

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 became law on 1 April 2018 and places duties on Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership and Falkirk Council to support unpaid carers in their caring role. These duties include preparing a carers strategy with particular focus on the local area. This local strategy supports the delivery of the National Carers Strategy, is reviewed every three years, and is for all Adult Carers and Young Carers in Falkirk.

You can access the Carers Strategy and other relevant documents by visiting: falkirkhscp.org/publications/#carers

 

Carers Centre Manager’s Report 2022/23

We are pleased to present our annual report which tells the story of all that the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre has delivered during 2022/23, including some pictures which show the impact and value of our work.

We will keep on striving to work hard and support carers of all ages and ensure that carers in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire are informed, supported, and informed.

Right To Carers Leave Act receives Royal Assent

A Bill that gives employees across Great Britain the right to take unpaid leave from work to care for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends has now received Royal Assent.

The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 will ensure that the estimated two million employees currently juggling paid employment and caring responsibilities will be able to take up to five days of unpaid Carer’s Leave to support their loved ones.

The earliest date the legislation would come into force is April 2024 but the date is yet to be confirmed. Details of the regulations and guidance are currently being developed will be shared by the UK Government in due course.

Employers that are keen to understand more about the implications of the Carer’s Leave Act and how to better support carers in their staff teams can find out more from Carers UK’s employers forum, Employers for Carers.

Read more at Carers UK’s website.

Summer 2023 newsletter now available!

The summer 2023 edition of the Carers Centre’s newsletter has now been sent out to all carers and organisations currently on our mailing list to receive information by post or email. If you haven’t received a copy of the newsletter, you can download the digital version by clicking below.

In this latest edition:

        • We bring you an update on Young Carers Action Day 2023! 🎉
        • We have staff info and updates, with interviews as well as all the comings and goings in the last 6 months 🔄
        • As well as info about our plans for Carers Week 2023, including our prize draw 🎫
        • and much more!

If you’ve missed this edition but would like to sign up to our e-mailing list to receive future newsletters, you can do so here.

 

Easter Weekend and Support Services

The Carers Centre will be closed from Friday 7 April 2023 until Monday 10 April 2023 (inclusive), re-opening on Tuesday 11 April 2023.  Details of local support and emergency services are available below:

Young Carers Action Day!

It’s Young Carers Action Day!

Young Carers Action Day (YCAD) raises awareness about young carers (YCs) and young adult carers (YACs), the challenges they face and the support they need. This year’s theme is Make Time for Young Carers which highlights two things that are really important for YCs and YACs:

  • The need for professionals and responsible adults to make more time to listen to young carers and young adult carers explain the challenges they face, so we can better understand the support young carers and young adult carers actually need.
  • Once they understand the sort of support that’s required, responsible adults then need to make time to put that support in place.

For YCAD this year we’ll be Making Time for Young Carers with some exciting group activities! We’ll also be sharing some brilliant stop motion animations created by our Young Carers’ Voice group. 

You can find more information and resources on YCAD at Carers.org/YCAD or get involved on social media using the hashtag #YoungCarersActionDay

Festive Opening Hours and Support Services

The Carers Centre will be closed from 1 PM on Monday 26 December 2022 until Tuesday 3 January 2023 (inclusive), re-opening on Wednesday 4 January 2023.  Details of local support and emergency services are available below:

Finally, the staff and Board of the Carers Centre wish carers a happy, healthy and safe festive season, and we look forward to continuing to offer support in 2023.

Staff training day

Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre will be closed on Friday 16 December 2022 for a staff training day. We will re-open on Monday 19 December 2022.

We’re hiring!

The Carers Centre is a growing and forward-thinking organisation with ambition to support an increasing number of children, young people and adults who provide unpaid care for a family member or friend due to disability, illness, addiction, or frailty.

We are currently looking to fill the role of:

        • Young Carer Support Worker (21 hours per week)

Applications for this post close on Monday 5 December 2022.

You can find out more about this role at our VACANCIES page! Or if you’d like to apply, click below!