Renfrewshire Carers Centre celebrates 30 years in the community

In January, Renfrewshire Carers Centre (RCC) celebrated 30 years of supporting unpaid Carers in Renfrewshire at Paisley Town Hall

At the event, Depute Provost of Renfrewshire, Councillor Cathy McEwan, shared a few kind words about the impact carers have on our communities and joined Renfrewshire Carers Centre Manager, Diane Goodman, in cutting the anniversary cake to commemorate the moment.

The centre stated back in January 1996 when CARD – Carers Action Renfrew District, a campaigning group were successful in obtaining a dedicated carers service. Funding was secured from the Princess Royal Trust for carers and Renfrewshire Council to fund the centre which was seen as a one stop shop for carers.

The centre started with two members of staff and has grown to 81 staff and over 30 volunteers today. Renfrewshire Carers Centre provide a range of services including: information and advice, advocacy, peer support groups, counselling, training, short breaks, care at home, young carers support, adult support team, emergency plans, ethnic minority support, self-directed support, carers discount card, empowering carers voices and now the new emerging digital age.

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Working in partnership and getting involved in the local community has been key to the centre’s success. They work closely with local services, voluntary organisations, community groups and statutory partners sharing the one purpose, to improve lives of carers and the people they care for. We cannot support carers in isolation, and it is only by working together – a joined-up approach that we can make Renfrewshire ‘carer-friendly’ and ensure carers get the support they deserve.

RCC wouldn’t be able to celebrate 30 years without funding and Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership and Renfrewshire Council have been the consistent funder providing the core services since the centre began. They have been able to develop and extend services through a variety of sources including Carers Trust, The National Lottery, The Robertson Trust, Shared Care Scotland and BBC Children in Need, to name a few.

Renfrewshire Carers Centre want to say a big thank you to their carers, who often make sacrifices in their own lives to care for a loved one. These carers are the backbone of our community and make the world a better place with compassion, dedication, caring and love and the centre feels privileged to be part of your lives.

To find out more about the services Renfrewshire Carers Centre provide, visit their website.