LifeCare Edinburgh is an established charity with over 80 years’ experience supporting local older people living with dementia, poor health, isolation and loneliness. It helps people and their carers to access the tools and support they need to remain living independently, feel supported in the home, eat and live well, feel less isolated, have improved connections with others, and maintain mental and physical wellbeing.
The charity supports over 1,000 local older people annually through day care, registered outreach, help at home, hot meal delivery, companionship and community activities. LifeCare also operates a popular community café and hub on Cheyne Street in Stockbridge, which is accessed by a wide range of local people for classes, activities and groups.
Leonardo employs over 2,000 highly skilled people at its site based at Crewe Toll in Edinburgh and has supported many charitable causes, most recently with Harmeny Education Trust, supporting disadvantaged children for which the company has raised over £62,000 over the past 3 years.
Speaking about the new partnership, Mark Stead, SVP, Radar and Advanced Targeting at Leonardo said: “What makes LifeCare stand out as a charity is their hands-on, practical approach to providing care – not just for the physical health of individuals, but also their mental and emotional wellbeing. Leonardo is proud to be embarking on this new partnership to enhance the quality of life of people living in our local community. By demonstrating we care, we help people feel valued and appreciated, and that in itself can have a strong, positive and energising effect on a person’s wellbeing, as well as being hugely uplifting for those who take the time to participate and make a difference.”
James Wells, LifeCare’s Chief Executive, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen by Leonardo’s employees as their charity partner across the next two years. Sadly older people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic; health and well-being have suffered significantly and we are struggling to cope with demand for care and the rising costs of service delivery. None of our services are fully funded and we rely on our fundraising to support our life-affirming services.
“We look forward to working with Leonardo’s team to help them raise funds for our positive and practical support that older people need to live their lives with extra zest. We can also help the staff learn more about living with dementia and how to actively support their affected family members.”