Jewish Care Scotland: the support of the community is more important than ever

Last month, Jewish Care Scotland hosted our AGM at the Walton Community Care Centre.  It was a great opportunity to share our latest Annual Review, highlighting the positive impact our services have had on the community in the past year.

Since the last AGM a lot has happened in the world.  The terrible events of October 7^th 2023 has led to a time of uncertainty for Jewish Communities across the globe and a rise in anti-Semitism. It has brought communities closer together and as I reflect on the past 12 months at JCS I am proud to say that we have continued to provide a safe environment for members of the community to meet and share time together.

This past year, we have continued to provide our registered services through both our weekly Wellbeing Hub and visits to clients in their home.  In a clear shift from pre-Covid, our visits to clients’ homes are now more in demand than our traditional, building-based services.  The JCS Wellbeing Hub, formerly Aviv Club, provides an opportunity for people to get out, meet with friends and enjoy activities in safe and familiar surroundings.  Our support visits allow people to retain their independence and affords them the chance to get out to places that interest them, or simply enjoy some company and social interaction at home.  All of our services focus on combatting social isolation and loneliness, keeping people connected with others as well as with Jewish culture.

Welcome Wednesday continues to be well attended, thanks to all the volunteers who make it happen each week.  Visitors to the weekly café enjoy a regular activity program including music from Eddie Binnie, information stalls and a weekly knitting and crochet group.  In the past year, Lennie Wilson launched his much-acclaimed panel discussions bringing key voices from the community together to discuss topics that impact us all, including mental health and the future of the Jewish community in Scotland.

We have recently secured funding for our weekly MorphFit gentle movement program, kicking off the week with strength and balance class each Monday morning.  We are pleased to say that this class has now reached capacity and we are compiling a waiting list to evidence demand for additional sessions.  Feedback has been extremely positive with many telling us the class has not only given them confidence to get into exercise, but that it has reminded them of what Jewish Care Scotland is about.  We continue to look at maximising the use of our building to benefit the community.

Finance continues to be a significant challenge for Jewish Care Scotland however, and whilst we have healthy reserves we are faced with a potential funding cut from the local authority as well as increased running costs.  This will undoubtedly present challenges in balancing the books, and means we may need to review our funding model and indeed service delivery in the future.

Despite these challenges, we continue to focus on the positive impact our work has on the individuals and families we support.  We continue to move forward and support from the community is more important than ever.  We have been fortunate to receive generous legacy gifts over the past few years’ but this source of income is not guaranteed, or indeed predictable. Often legacy gifts are also restricted to specific projects or for specific purposes.  Our annual appeal is an extremely important source of income as are the grants we receive from the Jewish Blind Society, Glasgow Jewish Community Trust and other key funders in the community.

There is indeed something special about Jewish Care Scotland, and as we continue in our 166^th year I am sure we will continue to be there for as long as we are needed. During the course of the past year, we launched our 165^th anniversary video which for anyone who has not seen it I would commend it to you.  It speaks far greater than any words about what this organisation means to the community.

It is indeed a challenging time for many reasons, but I am confident to report that JCS continues to move forward and will adapt as required to ensure we are present for as long as our services are required.

Find out more about how Jewish Care Scotland could support you or a loved one by visiting our website at www.jcarescot.org.uk.  If you can, please consider supporting our work by making a donation, you can find out how online.

Richard Groden

Jewish Care Scotland Chair