As we enter a new year at the Child and Family Centre we take stock of the one that has just finished. It was one of the toughest years for all humanity as everyone had to adapt to a new way of living. We were privileged as we were still able to deliver our services and collaborate with other organisations. We understand that partnership working is crucial to providing the best possible care. I want to provide a snapshot of the year and tell you of the collaboration work that went on.
We were able to deliver our family holiday club in Elder Park adhering to social distancing measures. This was a great time for all the families who attended as it gave them a safe space to come and meet with other families at a distance. Those who attended said it had been the first time they had been out of the house in a while and it helped them to get social interaction. We were able to partner with The Preshal Trust during this time who donated a family night-in pack which included a game, food and juice.
There have been other developments of partnership work over the year as we realised that there was a lot more financial distress upon people across the city during the pandemic. We have been able to partner with Home Energy Scotland who are providing Gas and Electricity top up vouchers and advice and guidance on all energy matters. This has been a great resource and service and it has benefited so many people we have referred through the Home Energy Scotland portal.
We noticed also that when individuals entered a tenancy in Linthouse that sometimes the fuel meters were wrong, there was energy debt left in the meter and the house was not insulated enough so we contacted G Heat and made them aware of this. They have now partnered with Linthouse Housing Association. This partnership involves someone from G Heat having a visit as soon as someone receives a tenancy to make sure they are on the correct tariff, there is no debt in the meter and the house is properly insulated. This is a great service to the people within the local area. It is not just for new tenancy holders as anyone in the area can access this support at any given time.
Another collaboration that took place was with Lodging House Mission and The Bethany Trust. Working closely with Clare at our city centre project we were able to collect large food boxes, toilet and kitchen packs for many of our guests. These were a great resource to our families and we are thankful for the hard work that went in from all concerned.
All of our Christmas parties took place on Zoom and we delivered Christmas boxes that were full of goodies. There was lots of fun and games for all who attended.
Christmas is always a special time for us here at the Child and Family Centre as we hosted our big give away. This was made extra special with the Cash for Kids donation that we received. The donation of vouchers was able to help several children and we want to thank them for the generosity we received.
James Hawthorn
Adult Worker
