Engage Update - 06 March

Mobile Vaccination Unit - 07 March
 

A mobile vaccination unit will be visiting Ferguslie on Tuesday 7 March 2023.

It will be located at Ferguslie Sports Centre, 106 Blackstoun Rd, Ferguslie, Paisley PA3 1EX and the drop-in clinic will be open from 9am to 4pm.

The flu vaccination will be offered to anyone aged 50 or over on a first come, first served basis.

They will also be offered the Covid-19 booster vaccination, providing it is a minimum three months since their last dose.

There will be a set number of vaccinations available on the day so anyone visiting is advised to do so as early as they can.

Please share this information with your local community contacts to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to get their vaccination and be protected over the winter period.

if you can’t make it, you can call 0800 030 8013 to make an one at a NHSGGC community clinic or you can book an appointment online at https://vacs.nhs.scot/csp

For more information on the winter vaccination programme, you can visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/winter-vaccines

Signt Scotland 

Sight Scotland Veterans provides support to all veterans in Scotland who are experiencing changes to their sight, regardless of the cause, or what point you are at. We aim to ensure that veterans and their families and carers have access to the support that they need, when they need it. Our support equips people to rediscover and maintain their independence and to improve their quality of life.

Our activity hubs, in Renfrewshire and West Lothian provide a safe and welcoming space for veterans with sight loss to re-engage in the local community, rebuild confidence and regain or maintain their independence.

Sight Scotland Veterans – Hawkhead Centre, Renfrewshire

The Hawkhead Centre in Renfrewshire is an activity hub for ex-servicemen and women with sight loss. It’s a warm, welcoming place that brings veterans together.

With a variety of activities and outings, the activity hub offers the means and support to adapt to life with sight loss and try new things.  Many veterans who attend the centre say the things they do there and the connections they’ve made have transformed their lives.

New friendships and newfound confidence

Alison Gray, Deputy Centre Manager at the Hawkhead Centre, comments: “Each day our expert teams coordinate activities for veterans to explore interests, reconnect with their passions, develop new skills and meet new friends in a safe, welcoming environment. You’ll always find someone happy to chat with and meet others going through similar experiences with sight loss. Our team is at the heart of everything that goes on, whether they are supporting veterans to take part in archery or acoustic shooting, using the gym, making a bird table or bench in woodwork, arts and crafts, the list is really endless.

“We know it can feel nerve wracking when getting involved with a new place – but within minutes of arriving at the Hawkhead Centre, veterans realise there is nothing to worry about. By the end of their first day, they’re already looking forward to the next visit. The laughter and chatter heard every day throughout the building is testament to the many connections that have been flourishing at the centre since it opened in 2017.”

The Hawkhead Centre in Paisley is a large, modern and exciting space for our veterans to get involved with many activities and projects. Purpose built for people with sight loss, the fully accessible facilities include:

• gymnasium
• skills kitchen
• I.T. room
• music room
• arts and crafts room
• woodwork workshop
• archery club
• garden and potting shed.

David’s Story

Former soldier, David Martin, from East Renfrewshire, survived being on the frontline in Afghanistan, but the biggest fight of his life followed after he was involved in a near-fatal car crash.

David, 39, who was serving in the 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Black Watch, was involved in a bad car accident in 2013 where he required life-saving surgery after sustaining a brain injury. For the next two-and-a-half years, David stayed in hospital, as a patient at Graham Anderson House, in Glasgow, a specialist rehabilitation hospital for people with brain injuries. There he re-learned life’s most basic skills, like talking, walking, cooking and setting up direct debits.

During his recovery and to this day, David receives support from Sight Scotland Veterans.

He explains: “I am now going to the centre every Friday and I use the art room or IT suite. I am always doing activities now like kayaking, climbing and I have joined an angling club. I have a Go-Pro now, so I will be recording videos and will ask the IT guy to help me download the footage.

“I now see my brain injury as a kind of blessing as I am now engaging in activities and meeting so many different people that I would not have ever thought about pre-brain injury.”

And when it comes to practical help, Sight Scotland Veterans was there for David too, setting up his Google Nest Home, so it would remind him when to take his medication, at home and when he is out with phone reminders, to prevent seizures.

Veteran John Reilly, who works at Hawkhead Centre as Senior Centre Manager, adds: “I get quite emotional talking about David. He has so much warmth and positivity. If we are feeling down, you only need to look at him and your spirit will be lifted. David will do anything, he has such a buzz for life. He is a total ambassador for this organisation.”

Joining Sight Scotland Veterans is free and membership is open to anyone living with sight loss who has served in the Armed Forces – including National Service. The teams are dedicated to ensuring that veterans receive the support that they need. Along with the activities mentioned, they facilitate drop-in sessions from other Sight Scotland Veterans teams. For example, our rehabilitation team can provide support on how to adapt to life with sight loss, or our Financial Wellbeing Lead can provide information on what financial support may be available to veterans. The Hawkhead team also work closely with our Independent Living team working in veterans local communities who provide support in the home and in veterans local areas

For more information on Sight Scotland Veterans please visit https://sightscotland.org.uk/veterans or call our support line on 0800 035 6409.

Keep Safe Awareness Day 

Keep Safe is a national initiative that works in partnership with Police Scotland and I Am Me Scotland to create safer and more inclusive communities for all. The Keep Safe network involves over 900 premises that sign up to become Keep Safe places that disabled or vulnerable people can use to seek assistance, if required, while out in the community. All premises are approved by Police Scotland and receive free training. The purpose of Keep Safe Awareness Day is to raise awareness of the initiative, the Keep Safe Card, the Keep Safe Scotland App and to encourage others to get involved.
  
We would love you to get involved! You can do this by raising awareness of Keep Safe, using our social media toolkits, Keep safe Activity pack, or fundraising for Keep Safe in Scotland.  We have attached a Partner Toolkit which details various ways for you to support Keep Safe Awareness Day. This includes prepared social media graphics that you can share, a Twibbon, Keep Safe Information videos, Keep Safe Online Lessons and Keep Safe Activities. You can also support the day by sharing the pre-prepared social media graphics attached.
 
Click here to access the Keep Safe Awareness Day resources.
 
We have also created a Keep Safe Awareness Day activity pack, this pack is filled with ideas such as cupcake recipes, activities such as a treasure hunt, and Keep Safe Awareness lessons from p1-adult and easy read. To access this Click here
 
Please use the hashtag #WeSupportKeepSafe in any of your communications for the day. We would love to hear what you think about Keep Safe initiative so please use some of the social media graphics and tell us what you think!