Parish News Round-up

Thursday June 14 2018

Our regular round-up of news received from churches.

Please send items of parish news to magazine@lifeandwork.org or Life and Work, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are too small, blurry or too dark cannot be used. If there are children in any picture please confirm that their parents or guardians have given permission for publication.

Thornliebank Parish Church has formally signed up to the aims, values and principles of the Technology Charter for People Living with Dementia in Scotland.

The church, in south west Glasgow, is believed to be the first faith-based organisation to sign the charter. It decided to take the step after becoming aware of many people in the parish who struggle with independent living, and the lack of any Citizens’ Advice Bureau or any other advice or advocacy service nearby.

The charter commits the church to:

• Design and deliver an advocacy service using technology to enable older people (including those living with dementia) to live well, feel included, learn new skills, build on existing skills and develop life skills (including digital skills) that could enhance independent living.
• Recruit a team of volunteers and deliver training to ensure appropriate digital skills are present within team members.
• Enable older people and those living with dementia to learn new skills through the acquisition of technology (digital technology), enable them to have a strong clear voice using technology and reduce feelings of social isolation and disconnection
• Be confident that everyone involved in delivering care and support through the project is aware of, and up to date with the positive benefits of technology
• Ensure that information and advice about the project and technology is clear and in everyday language
• Participants engaged in delivering Thornliebank's advocacy project will ensure that strict service user confidentiality is maintained at all times.

The advocacy project is headed by Doreen Watson, an elder with a professional background in technology to aid independent living, and fully supported by Alzheimer Scotland, East Renfrewshire Council, Thornliebank Medical Practice and by Sandra Shafii who is an AHP Dementia Consultant.

Joyce Gray, deputy director development for Alzheimer Scotland, said: “We are so delighted that Thornliebank Parish church has provided us with our first set of commitments from a Church or faith-based organisation, we are grateful for their thoughtful and innovative approach to using technology with their congregations and support their ambition in this work, in any way we can.”

Thornliebank minister the Rev Mike Gargrave is pictured signing the charter.

For more information on dementia, contact Alzheimer Scotland’s Freephone 24 hour helpline on 0800 808 3000, or email helpline@alzscot.org

Four new elders were ordained at Dalmuir Barclay Church, in Dumbarton Presbytery. Shona Beaton, Adrienne Mitchell, Rosemary Richardson and Elaine Shields are pictured with minister the Rev Dr Ruth Morrison.

Long service certificates for 30 years were presented to seven elders at Tarbolton Parish Church, in the Presbytery of Ayr, on Sunday. From left: Maureen McNae, Iris Richardson, Janette Candlish, David Neil, Moira Wilson, Margaret Brown, Mary Hunter.

The Boys’ Brigade 1^st Scone Company presented four boys with their Queen’s Badges and two with their President’s Badges at their recent awards night. The night capped a successful year for the Company, which is expecting to see another eight members gain either Queen’s or President’s Badges and has won seven Battalion individual or collective trophies. With boys coming up from the Junior Section and none having left in the last three years, by next session the Company and Senior Sections will have doubled in size over the last three years.

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