A night at the movies for carers this Xmas
Unpaid carers are going to get a Christmas treat thanks to Weemans Drive In cinema which is coming soon to Scone Palace.
The mobile cinema company has announced that it will offer a welcome break to 14 unpaid carers in Perthshire through Scotland’s Respitality initiative.
In just over a week, the big screen is going up outside Scone Palace and Weemans will be showing some great Christmas movies with free tickets going out to some local carers.
Respitality is coordinated nationally by the charity Shared Care Scotland with support from the Scottish Government. It is delivered locally by PKAVS Carers Hub.
It provides unpaid carers with short breaks from routine that are absolutely vital for their health and wellbeing.
Ally Menzies of Weemans Drive In said: “People and communities caring for each other is at the heart of Respitality, so it was the perfect charity for our business to support.
“As an ex-Black Watch soldier, I feel a real connection to Perthshire and I know there’s many unpaid carers in the community that could do with a treat, especially at this time of year.
“It is incredibly rewarding for us at Weemans Drive In to see for ourselves the real difference that we can make to someone’s life by simply doing what we do for a living.
“We’d highly recommend supporting Respitality to any tourism or leisure business – no matter how big or small an experience they can contribute.”
COVID-19 has hugely impacted on unpaid carers.
Recent research by Carers Scotland shows that 78 per cent stated that their caring role has increased due to COVID-19, both because of services being reduced or closed, and because of worries of using services because of the risk of infection.
Erman Maglalang, carer respite development officer for PKAVS Carers Hub, who is facilitating the Respitality breaks, added: “The pandemic has meant that planned breaks for unpaid carers in Perthshire for 2020 have been either postponed or cancelled, however the need for a break from their caring role is more needed than ever.
“To receive such a generous donation from Weemans Drive In at a time that has been truly challenging for businesses in the hospitality industry means the world to PKAVS Carers Hub and the carers we support.”
Weemans Drive In showings are taking place from December 16-22 at Scone Palace.
For all details, visit the website https:// weemansdrivein.co.uk/
More information about the Respitality project can be found on the website www. sharedcarescotland.org.uk/respitality/