Engage Update - 14 August

Kairos Women + Survey

Hello! We want to hear from you about your experiences & what Kairos should do next!

Who is behind this survey?
Kairos Women+'s Development Team, a diverse group of local women and non-binary people, have created this survey to find out your experiences.

What do we hope to learn from this survey? We'd like to know about the experiences of you and women+ in your life so we can create projects that work for us all. We also want to hear your ideas about Kairos' future and what you would like to see happening.

What happens to the information you submit? The information, data, and anecdotes you choose to share with us will help us create our plan for the next 2-years. We'll use your ideas and experiences to seek funding, develop new projects and improve current ones.

This survey will be anonymous, we will not share any data that identifies you, and while the data will be visible on the Kairos Women+ website, the questionnaires won't, and your information will be safeguarded by this charity.

Complete survey here 

Who Creates the Story? Tackling Mental Health Stigma through Creative Approaches - Monday 4th September

Creative approaches are vital to anti-stigma work, offering different tools for people to share, engage and connect. This is particularly important when we consider how we make sure our work engages communities across Scotland, taking an intersectional approach to our understanding of stigma.
 
See Me are delighted to invite you to a free day all-day Creative Learning Event ‘Who Creates the Story?’: Tackling mental health stigma through creative approaches on Monday 04 September, 9.30-5pm at The Boardwalk (105 Brunswick St, G1 1TF). Please use this link to sign up to attend Who Creates the Story? Sign up to attend

Peer-led Learning and the Difference it Makes

21 September from 11:00-12:30

A Peer Connects online event from Scottish Recovery Network

This participatory online event is a chance to connect, share and learn with people passionate about the power of peer support! It’s an opportunity to look at some of the different ways people use to enhance their confidence, skills, and experience through learning in the community. A chance to explore what difference it makes if the opportunities are peer-led?

Join us to hear about North Ayrshire Wellbeing and Recovery College's Peer Pathway programme. Book your place to share ideas and hear from other innovative peer-led learning projects making a difference across the country

Peer Connects: peer-led learning and the difference it makes Tickets, Thu 21 Sep 2023

Singing the praises of Sight Scotland Veterans

Andrew Napier, from Paisley, who has been blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity (RP), is quite literally singing the praises of Sight Scotland Veterans at the charity’s Hawkhead Centre in Paisley.

Andrew, 29, who has a law degree and diploma, is undertaking a 9-month internship at the Hawkhead Centre. He assists with all the daily activities the centre puts on for the veterans and has recently launched both a choir group and one-to-one piano lessons.

Andrew explains: “I am really enjoying my internship and look forward to coming into work every day. All the Hawkhead staff have been so welcoming and helpful, and the veterans are just great. I help with all the activities and have also been assisting the centre with accessibility advice, providing feedback on what is done well and what could be improved. Having a vision impairment enables me to give a different perspective and hopefully it is proving beneficial for the charity.

“I have a passion for music and play the piano and sing in a local community choir in Paisley. I have recently launched a singing group at the centre and am also giving veterans one-to-one piano lessons. It is great that I am getting to combine my passion for music with my internship, I just love it. The veterans really enjoy it as well; singing and music is just so powerful to help lift spirits and make people feel good. Singing is also a good form of exercise and helps with alertness, stress reduction and self-esteem. It just makes people feel better and happier.” 

Andrew adds: “I found out about the internship through word of mouth in Paisley, and I thought to myself this sounds perfect for me. So, I applied and was delighted to get it. It has helped me so much in terms of learning new skills but also with my confidence and independence. I find the whole thing just so rewarding, it really lifts my spirits. The Hawkhead Centre is such a positive place to work, it is amazing to be able to interact and help all the veterans and you can tell how much they enjoy coming along. I really cannot speak highly enough of Sight Scotland Veterans.”

Alison Gray, Deputy Centre Manager at the Hawkhead Centre, comments: “Andrew has been a real help since he started, and all the staff and veterans love him. He is such a positive person and has so many amazing skills. His piano and choir groups have been a big hit, and it is lovely to hear the music and song drifting through the centre throughout the day. He has also been helping Sight Scotland Veterans and Sight Scotland with accessibility testing. We are incredibly lucky to have him.”

Sight Scotland Veterans provides support to all veterans in Scotland who are experiencing changes to their sight. 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.

For more information on Sight Scotland Veterans please visit sightscotlandveterans.org.uk or call our support line on 0800 035 6409.

Rollout of Long Covid Service within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

A new service within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been launched to help those who have been affected by the long terms impacts of Covid-19.

The Long Covid Service will provide a holistic approach, providing interventions, guidance and tools for patients to live well with their symptoms after the initial Covid-19 infection with patients having access to a range of specialists.

Staff which will include administrative support, Advanced Practice Occupational Therapists, Advanced Practice Physiotherapists and Health Care Support Workers, will offer advice on managing and improving the symptoms of the condition for children, young people and adults who have been diagnosed by their GP as having long covid.

Fiona Smith, Director of Allied Health Professionals at NHSGGC, said: “We are committed to providing the best possible patient care and the long COVID service is a huge step forward in supporting people who are impacted by the longer lasting effects of Covid-19.

"Living with long COVID can be extremely challenging and the service aims to provide support for patients and their families to ensure they have access to the best resources to support recovery and improve the quality of their lives. 

“I would like to thank all the staff at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the individual Health and Care Social Partnerships for their help and assistance in the development of the service.”

Since launching just over three months ago, the service has already had 340 referrals where it has been able to support individuals with varying needs and symptoms in relation to the condition.

Caitlin Hamlett, a service user at the Long Covid Service, said: “I can’t thank the team at the Long Covid Service enough for the help and support they have provided through the duration of my time using the service. 

“Living with the symptoms of Long Covid can be extremely difficult and exhausting. The service has provided a lifeline in my rehabilitation both physically and mentally.

“The compassion and knowledge of the staff has given me a clear direction for managing my symptoms on the path to recovery, and I am extremely grateful for the help I have received.

“I would urge anyone who is living with Long Covid to reach out to their GP who can refer you to the service, where you will be able to connect with others in a similar position to you.”

For more information on the long covid service and how you can access help, please visit the NHSGGC website.