wellbeing
Pillar Kincardine
Yesterday we got to know Sara Kamrath, Service Manager Pillar Kincardine. Today, we look at what Pillar does.
Pillar Kincardine was founded in 1989 as a result of the success of “Stepping Stones” and Pillar Aberdeen’s provision of social and leisure activities for people within Aberdeen City (Pillar Aberdeen has since closed on 29th August 2010).
Pillar Kincardine’s objectives then, as now, were to provide support services for people who have experienced or continue to experience challenges in relation to their mental health and to promote mental wellbeing.
We have been providing day services continuously for 25 years. These services were developed in response to service user’s needs and have evolved over the years. New projects and initiatives have grown out of earlier ones. Read the rest of this entry »
Mental Health Awareness Week, 11th – 17th May 2015.
Since the first Mental Health Awareness Week in 2000, mental health groups have pushed topics like loneliness, anger, fear, exercise, alcohol and friendship into the public sphere.
All week, K & M Communities will be focusing on the great work done by in Kincardine & Mearns by Pillar Kincardine, founded in 1989 as a result of the success of “Stepping Stones” and Pillar Aberdeen’s provision of social and leisure activities for people within Aberdeen City (Pillar Aberdeen has since closed on 29th August 2010).
Pillar Kincardine’s objectives then, as now, were to provide support services for people who have experienced or continue to experience challenges in relation to their mental health and to promote mental wellbeing.
We thought it would be good to speak to Sara Kamrath, the smiley face who greets you at Pillar, Kincardine. We persuaded her to tell us and you a little about herself… but not in the conventional way. We wanted to dig deeper… Read the rest of this entry »
Is your child’s car seat correctly fitted?
At the end of last year, a Road Safety Education Report revealed the findings of children’s car seat clinics carried out across Aberdeenshire between June and September 2014.
Out of 244 car seats checked, 78% were incorrectly fitted and 40 of the seats had major faults.
The checks were carried out as part of the Good Egg Safety campaign which provides information and advice on in-car child safety.
We spoke to Transport Safety Education Officer Lucy Cramb about the car seat clinics and asked her advice on how to fit your child’s car seat correctly.
On Your Bike….
April in K & M Communities looks at transport. We thought it might be fun to look and see what others countries do. So, read on to find out how public transport Chinese style operates…..
Think we’ve got transport headaches? How do you think the most populated country in the world copes, especially when 95% of them don’t even own a car?
There are 1.3 BILLION people in China. Personal cars are a fairly recent addition to China’s roads, and thankfully so! Even with the government-limited issuance of license plates through a monthly lottery, the roads are already congested with their inability to contain such an explosion in numbers and constantly needing repair, and air pollution hangs thick. China will likely never hold such numbers like America does in percentage of the population with private cars. So for the 95% who don’t own cars, there have to be efficient, available methods to get around.
Thinking of becoming a foster carer?
By choosing to become a foster carer you can make a huge difference to a child’s life – and yours.
The UK’s leading children’s charity, Barnardo’s believes that by providing the right help, committed support, and belief, even the most vulnerable children can turn their lives around.
If this makes you wonder if fostering is right for you, get in touch with Barnardo’s. They are urgently looking to recruit an extra 850 foster carers in Scotland to tackle the “critical” shortfall which leaves one in three children in care having to move homes more than twice a year. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s no ward like home.
The shape of Scottish society is changing. People are living longer, healthier lives and as the needs of our society change, so too must the nature and form of our public services. 
New legislation, in the form of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, came into force on 1 April 2014. The Act requires Health Boards and Local Authorities to integrate their health and social care services.
Local teams and professionals across health and social care will work together to deliver quality, sustainable care and services resulting in improved outcomes for the people and their families who use these services.
Those individuals with long-term conditions and disabilities, many of whom are older people, will get the joined-up and seamless support and care that they need to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
So, that’s the background, but what will it mean to you & I? 
Read the rest of this entry »
Dementia Friends Scotland
Alzheimer Scotland and Dementia Friends
Dementia Friends is a Social Action Movement.
Dementia Friends is all about raising awareness and reducing the stigma
A Dementia Friends session is free and will last around an hour. It is interactive and informative.
The five key messages you should know about dementia which are :-
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing
Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain
Dementia is not just about losing your memory
It is possible to live well with Dementia
There’s more to the person than the dementia
These will be brought to life through a number of activities. At the end of the session you will be asked to sign up as a Dementia Friend. You will be given a badge to wear and a certificate. We will then be asking you to state a Call to Action which can be very simple, something as simple as helping the person who appears to be lost or being patient in the supermarket queue when a person is having difficulty. As a Dementia Friend we ask that you continue to talk about Dementia with family, friends and colleagues which will continue to raise awareness in the community thus creating a dementia friendly community.
For more information or to sign up for a session, please contact
Kirsteen Heneghan, Dementia Advisor, Alzheimer Scotland
Tel: 01467 530512 or mob: 07879 551831 or
Moira Watson Development Worker Dementia Friendly Communities
Mobile Number 07576305750
NEXT PUBLIC SESSION will be in Stonehaven on
Wednesday 18th of March at 11am Outside Hall Stonehaven Community Centre Bath Street
Please contact Kirsteen or Moira if you want to take part in one of the sessions.
Getting Into Health & Social Care.
If you are 16-25, unemployed and interested in a career in care, join the free training programme with the Princes Trust, where you can:
- Have the chance to gain qualifications such as food hygiene, emergency first aid or moving and handling
- Receive training in topics relevant to the sector, including dementia, health and safety
- Improve your teamwork and communication skills and boost your confidence, interview skills and CV
- Receive six month’s support after the programme to help you find a job
INTERESTED?
Contact:
For more information contact Lynne Martin on 01224 289729 / 07787 518392 or email lynne@elevatoruk.com or visit www.princes-trust.org.uk
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Trellis National Conference
Date: Tuesday 12th March 2015 
Time: 9.30 to 16.00
Venue: Bield at Blackruthven, Blackruthven House, Perth PH1 1PY
Cost: £50 or £40 for Trellis members (including lunch and refreshments) Read the rest of this entry »
Brighter Breaks
A light lunch will be provided and transport may also be available. Those interested can e-mail brighterbreaks@grampianopportunities.org.uk or call VSA on 01779 490894 to book a space. If you are unable to attend a session, but would like to find out more, or you’d like to complete a short questionnaire please use the contact details above.
Mearns Academy, Aberdeen Road, Laurencekirk, AB30 1ZJ
Monday, March 2, 11am-1pm
Station Hotel, Commercial Road, Ellon, AB41 9BDTuesday, March 3, 11am-1pm
The Porty Cabin, Bruntland Road, Portlethen, AB12 4QLThursday, March 5, 11am-1pm
Dawson Court, Victoria Terrace, Turriff, AB53 4FP
Brighter Breaks also involves VSA (Volunteer Services Aberdeen), MS Society, CHSS (Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland), B.I.G. (Brain Injury Grampian) Group and GO (Grampian Opportunities
February Focus – A Big Blether on Alcohol & Drugs
During February, the South Aberdeenshire Alcohol & Drug Forum is kick-starting local conversations on alcohol, drugs & recovery in Kincardine and Mearns and they are taking over K&M Communities to help them! Happy to have you here guys!
The Forum is a place for local people to come together to discuss local issues pertaining to alcohol and drug use. The South Forum covers Kincardine & Mearns and Marr and anyone living, working, studying or having an interest in alcohol and other drugs issues in these areas is welcome to come along.
They say:
There’s an excitement growing around the knowledge that recovery is possible, that people can change and friends, family and communities are crucial in supporting these changes. We’d like to start a local conversation to promote this and we’d like you to be part of it.
Read more about how YOU can join the conversation. Read the rest of this entry »
K&M Communities 