Author: Cally Gunn

Today we’re going to be spotlighting one of our long-term volunteers, Lesley Roles. From her first interaction with Jewish Care Scotland, which blossomed from her close relationship with the late Freda Jackson and her daughter, to her six year long position on the board to her voluntary position in 2024 – Lesley is a huge part of our organization and our community.

“At the time I first got involved it (Jewish Care Scotland) was still called the Welfare Board. There were about 14 volunteers and a small staff team that I can remember.”

Lesley’s journey began when she heard Freda chatting about Pesach parcels that the Welfare Board sent out to people. Volunteers would go to Coplaw Street, the old organisational headquarters, to put together boxes to distribute to people in the community who needed support. Interested, one day Lesley offered to help… and never looked back!

Freda told her: “You know I think you might be suitable volunteer candidate; how would you like to come down for an interview?” Lesley said it had never crossed her mind. “Let me think about it.”

She only needed to think about it for 30 seconds before saying yes!

One of Lesley’s first days was an outing to visit Belair Park with the community. It was very friendly and casual, the perfect opportunity for her to get to know the team, volunteers, service users and the wider community. Everyone made her feel right at home; she recalls the more musical members of the group encouraging her to sing along with their live music!

“It felt like a true family, the very first feeling. It was very welcoming. There was a seamless ‘togetherness’ of staff, service user and volunteers. It was really nice.”

In 2011 our Lesley, alongside a group of 40 volunteers, travelled to Europe to complete Jewish Heritage walks. Their journey began in Riga, Latvia with a cheer and a wave on the country’s official independence day! Travelling across the country on their pilgrimage, Lesley and the group next arrived in Lithuania. Here she had the opportunity to do something quite special: explore personal family heritage and generational connections! The walking group was filled with familiar Jewish Care Scotland faces, such as Avril Levy and Maureen Solomons, yet were joined by members of the community living abroad. For five days the group travelled 18 – 20 miles per day!

Their fabulous efforts raised an impressive £3000 while simultaneously connecting people and learning about those who bravely came before us. As well as raising funds, this trip was a momentous success which nurtured international connections and allowed Lesley, alongside the rest of our group, to reconnect with their heritage and history.

Through Lesley’s journey with Jewish Care Scotland she’s built many lifelong connections. Before volunteering she vaguely knew Maureen, this quickly changed! They quickly bonded, developed a close friendship and to this day continue to support each other both at JCS and beyond.

Attending the Royal Garden Party, having the opportunity to be in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh was certainly one of Lesley’s highlights of her JCS journey.

“It was amazing, quite special. I went with Richard the first time and then with Angela Hecht alongside another volunteer, Freda Kostick. It was a beautiful day; we had superb afternoon tea. The Queen came round with the entourage and the family!”

Notably, Lesley was one of the founding members of Welcome Wednesday, JCS’s weekly drop-in café. Established in 2021 as Jewish Care Scotland adapted their services to fit the ever-changing needs of the community; Welcome Wednesday has allowed Lesley, alongside our full volunteer team, to have a positive impact on peoples’ lives’ every single week!

This is just a small snippet of the work, highlights and achievements of Lesley’s volunteer story. Lesley Roles’ Jewish Care Scotland journey is decades long and still going strong! Thank you for continuing to support JCS and our community.

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

Why JCS?

Leonard Wilson, known as Lennie by his Jewish Care Scotland family, Lennie has been volunteering with us for over ten years. Having been previously kept busy in the restaurant industry, Lennie comfortably steps into his role as the ‘kitchen manager’ where he serves soup, teas, coffee and cakes at Welcome Wednesday. If you know our Lennie, you’ll know that he takes his kitchen duties very seriously, arriving at The Walton Community Care Centre every Wednesday at 11am (sharp!) to make sure the café is stocked, sparkling and ready to go.

Lennie’s life before Jewish Care Scotland was definitely one to write home about! He started his career journey as a Commis Chef at the British Transport Hotel, before long he was quickly promoted to Trainee Manager where he learnt the managerial ropes. Climbing the hotel career ladder took him to new heights across Europe – from Le George V in Paris to The Ritz in Barcelona. Lennie enjoyed the food, culture and weather abroad, always taking the time to learn the language of the country he was working in and making many international friendships.

Returning to Scotland Lennie worked for the St Enoch hotel which hundreds of guests passed through every week. He was a familiar face for guests and famous faces alike. As his team, the guests and people around him began to hear whispers of his impressive travels and multi-language skills, Lennie was never short of people asking questions! His favourite request came from Scott Simon of Glasgow Rangers Football Club in the 60’s, when he asked: “Mr Wilson, would you like to come to Spain with the club to interpret Spanish?” Of course, Lennie graciously accepted and enjoyed a trip to Spain with teddy bears!

Growth through volunteering…

Over the years Lennie has worn many hats around the organisation!

In summer 2023 Lennie organised, and hosted, the first Jewish Care Scotland discussion panel where he invited guest speakers from out with the organisation to the centre to get together and chat informally about subjects relative to the local community. The gathering proved to be very popular, with the first chat drawing in more than 50 individuals to join the Welcome Wednesday group and get involved with the discussions! This first discussion session broke JCS’s record for number of Welcome Wednesday attendees!

From last June there has been seven discussion events with over 15 guest speakers visiting to join the conversation and connect with one another. In the year since discussion topics have included: Promoting Positive Wellbeing, Where are we going as a Community and Congregation? and Digital Skills Learn for Life.

Talking is a natural form of connection which JCS and Lennie will passionately continue to offer, enabling fun, meaningful conversation and giving the community a chance to be heard!

From kitchen manager to chair of the discussion panel to spearheading golfing events at Bonnyton, Lennie is an integral part of the Jewish Care Scotland team.

Advice for future volunteers?

“Say yes to instructions! It’s not a job, enjoy the honour! Encourage friends and relations.” Short and sweet!

23 July 2024

Jewish Care Scotland were delighted to hear of their National Lottery funding success last week.  With thanks to National Lottery players, the charity plans to deliver their Wellbeing Project which includes weekly exercise classes as well as a digital skills project. 

From Monday 5 August, JCS gentle movement class will take place each week between 10.30am and 11.30am at the Walton Community Care Centre.  Powered by MorphFit, the group exercise class offers a chance to get moving with our trained instructor Cara.  All attendees can go at their own pace and exercises are adaptable to everyone’s individual abilities.  Participants are welcome to stay after class for a tea, coffee or fruit juice and a chance to catch up with others. 

Of the Wellbeing Project, Deputy Chief Executive Robyn Friel said: “Our main objectives as an organisation include connecting people and promoting wellbeing and this project meets both.  The weekly movement class has increased in numbers each week since we launched the trial in May, with people telling their friends about it.  It’s a great way to start to the week.” 

The charity plans to launch a digital skills project in the early Autumn, following feedback from the community who lack confidence in their use of technology.  The project will include guidance and information on online safety, and ways to stay connected through the use of apps and finding out about events in your area, with a focus on making technology work for you.  Participants will have the opportunity to shape the sessions through feedback to ensure it delivers relevant and meaningful sessions.  The first digital skills workshop will take place during Welcome Wednesday on 28 August from 1pm and offers a chance to ask our Digital Champion, Cally Gunn, any questions and to register your interest to take part in the project.

Robyn continued, “We are so grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for their support and contribution to allow us to bring this project to life.  It will have a huge impact on the people who will take part.”

08 July 2024

A new defibrillator has been installed outside Jewish Care Scotland’s headquarters; The Walton Community Care Centre, May Terrace, Giffnock to allow the local community access to life-saving medical equipment.

Co-funded by JCS, Cosgrove and Glasgow Macabbi, the defibrillator will be available for anyone visiting the building and the local community to access. The installation has significantly improved the availability of a defibrillator should anyone suffer a cardiac arrest and, importantly, increase the chance of survival.

In case of an emergency please call 999, let them know that you are at May Terrace and they will give you a code which allows you to access the defibrillator.

For more information on how to access the defibrillator, or to find out how else JCS can support you, please get in touch by calling 0141 620 1800 or email hello@jcarescot.org.uk. 

Jewish Care Scotland’s Honorary President, Maureen Solomons, is one of our organisations’ longest running volunteers, with decades of experience under her belt! Originally, Maureen volunteered for Age Concern Scotland for around three years when in 1986 her sister-in-law, who was already volunteering with JCS, recommended she get involved.

Reflecting on the start of her volunteering journey: “I came along and had my interview with the late Freda Jackson, who was an amazing lady, one of the original ladies. And that was it! The minute I walked through the door, I knew it was different from anything I’d done before. I just knew, and I never looked back!”

In the early days Jewish Care Scotland was still referred to as the Glasgow Jewish Welfare Board and had yet to relocate to our well-known Giffnock location headquarters. Maureen reflects that although the old building on Coplaw Street was old and could be considered a bit “higglety pigglety”, everyone loved it and saw it as a second home for the community and the surrounding areas. Volunteers would be able to reach people from the Gorbals all the way through to Shawlands before we took on the big move in 1996 when JCS moved in next to Macabi in May Terrace, Giffnock.

Over the years Maureen has grown and changed alongside JCS; from performing in community cabaret events each year at Chanukah time to helping to establish and coordinate her fellow volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Maureen is an integral part of Jewish Care Scotland. Ten years ago, Maureen has the honour of speaking at Glasgow City Chambers for Jewish Care Scotland’s 150th anniversary.

 

 

After many months of social distancing in 2020, JCS realised just how different the social care landscape was looking. To tackle these changes a group of volunteers, spearheaded, by Maureen alongside Lesley Roles and Avril Levy, boldly initiated the first ‘Welcome Wednesday’ drop-in café to promote the communities’ wellbeing and allow them to connect with one another! To this day Welcome Wednesday is still going strong, boasting 30 – 50 attendees per week. This would have simply not been possible without Maureen Solomons.

Reminiscing on her sweetest memory of JCS, Maureen prides herself on the achievement of her volunteering cohort who won the Queen’s award for volunteering. To commemorate the award a Royal Lord Lieutenant visited the centre to present the volunteer team with their honorary award. Over the years Jewish Care Scotland has had countless lovely memories of Maureen and simply couldn’t choose just one!

31 March 2025

JCS have launched a special one-off grant to support low-income families hoping to send their child to this year’s Maccabi Summer Scheme.   The summer scheme will take place between Monday 7 and Friday 11 July, at a total cost of £175 with a 10% discount for a second child.  Jewish Care Scotland is offering a limited number of one-off grants of £175 to eligible applicants. 

Robyn Friel, JCS Deputy Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this grant to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to anyone taking part in this year’s Summer Scheme at Maccabi Glasgow.  The cost-of-living crisis continues to impact families and with the summer holidays approaching we want to make sure that no child misses out on the chance to attend the Summer Scheme and make some great memories.” 

The one-off grant is now open to applications.  Please contact the team at Jewish Care Scotland for more information by emailing Nicole at hello@jcarescot.org.uk or calling 0141 620 1800.  Applicants will be asked to evidence their disposable income to determine eligibility and further support may be available to those who would benefit.  All applications and enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence and payment will be made directly to Maccabi for successful applicants. 

For more information on the Maccabi Summer Scheme please contact Shayna Conn by emailing Shayna-SJYA@glasgowmaccabi.org.uk.