Carers of East Lothian

News Update March 2007

Relaxation Extravaganza – Monday 26th March A reminder that we have our Relaxation Extravaganza on Monday 26th March at the Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington.  The event runs from 2.00pm to 6.00pm and you are free to drop in at any time.  We will have on offer:  Relaxation, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Chi-Gong, Singing and Make-up sessions, as well as some light refreshments.  To help with our planning, could you please let us know in advance if you will be coming along.  Thanks.  On the day, we will have an information desk where you can sign up for the activities on offer, but if you will not be able to arrive until later in the afternoon please give us a call in advance and we will do our best to book you in for the sessions of your choice.

Carers Open Forum:  Election Special – Wednesday 25th April As a lead-up to the Local Council Elections on 3rd May we have arranged a Carers Open Forum for Wednesday 25th April from 2.00pm to 3.30pm again at the Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington.  The meeting will be in the style of the ‘Question Time’ TV programme with representatives from the four major political parties on a panel to answer question from an audience of local carers.  Tea/coffee will be available from 1.45pm – to help with catering arrangements please would you let us know if you will be coming along. 3rd May is also election day for the Scottish Parliament.  CoEL will be writing to the candidates for the East Lothian area urging them to commit to supporting carers if they are elected.  If you have a question you would like us to put to them please let us know by the end of March, and we will incorporate it in our letter.

Good News! As you may have read in the local press, CoEL has received a major cash boost in recent weeks.  We were awarded £24,000 from both the Lloyds-TSB Foundation for Scotland and The Robertson Trust, each grant spread over three years, to continue our work in the rural parts of East Lothian and with people in specific care settings.  For the first of these three years, the work will also be supported by £4,000 from the Miss Agnes H Hunter’s Trust.  These grants will allow us to retain Kathleen’s post until the end of 2009.  In a separate project, we received a grant of over £9,000 from Awards for All to put on a series of computer workshops for carers throughout 2007 – more information to follow!  Musselburgh MSP, Susan Deacon, congratulated the organisation: “I was very pleased to learn that Carers of East Lothian has been awarded these grants.  I am well aware of the good work that you do and hope that your project goes from strength to strength”.

Pontins – Free Holidays! We still have some spaces in our allocation of 12 free holiday places at Pontin’s, Blackpool during Carers Week, Monday 11th to Friday 15th June.  The offer is open to carers going by themselves and those travelling with family/companion(s).  In the past this initiative has proved to be a marvellous opportunity for carers to get a break from the pressures of their caring situation.  In the interests of fairness, our head office has decided that all applicants must not have had a holiday in the past year or be planning a holiday this year.  If you would like to apply, please contact us by Monday 19th March.

Aromatherapy Sessions In our last newsletter we gave you advance notice of our Aromatherapy student arriving on placement from Napier University.  Laura has now begun working with us on Fridays, offering a series of free treatments.  She has a few spaces left, so if you would like to have an Aromatherapy treatment please give us a call to make an appointment.

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