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. 

Be part of our story! £75 suggested donation.

 

Jewish Care Scotland are preparing our Annual Review to share updates on our work in the community in 2023, with a special feature on our 165^th Anniversary celebrating 165 years caring in the community.  Our Annual Review also highlights the positive impact that our funders and services have made over the year. 

Our Annual Review is an important publication as it provides an opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements, highlight our fantastic services and the impact they have on the people we support as well as giving us a platform to acknowledge the support we receive from volunteers, funders and companies like yours.  Our 165^th Anniversary has highlighted the importance of recording our history and ensuring memories are created for future generations.  Your support will help us to fund this project and will ensure your support is remembered as a significant part of our history. 

 

 

Our Annual Review is available to download online as well as being distributed to our Board of Trustees, donors, stakeholders, potential funders and of course the people we support and their families. 

Thank you for your continued support and generosity of Jewish Care Scotland and for your part in our story.

Last Thursday Jewish Care Scotland celebrated their 165^th anniversary with an intimate gathering at the Walton Community Care Centre. Guests included members of the Board, Honorary Presidents and Vice-Presidents, and funders  who were invited to decades of service dedicated to the community while reflecting on 165 years

Guests were invited to   enjoy a premiere viewing of a short film summarising the services the charity offers in 2024 and the positive impact on  the community. Treated to popcorn and canapés, attendees enjoyed the short film before gathering in the day centre to look back through the years, tracing how far we’ve come.

Jewish Care Scotland’s Chief Executive Officer, Linda Kemp said of the milestone anniversary: “Jewish Care Scotland provide a great vehicle for people to connect and be part of their community. When we ask people what they want from JCS, they tell us it’s that opportunity to connect, meet new people and feel part of the community. That’s very important to them.”

Linda was joined by Board Chairman Dr Richard Groden, President of Glasgow Jewish Rep Council Timothy Lovat and the Provost of East Renfrewshire, Mary Montague to connect and mark the momentous occasion.

Jewish Care Scotland and their team members have been recognised by a national care awards.  The charity and some of their team have been shortlisted at the Scottish Care Care at Home and Housing Support Awards 2024.

 

Jacqueline Speirs, Support Worker with Jewish Care Scotland since early 2023 has been shortlisted in the Emerging Talent category.  This award will recognise someone new to the sector or someone who has grown in their role to become a shining example of the care at home workforce.  This is Jacqueline’s first professional care role following a successful career in marketing and this recognition is well deserved following such a positive impact on the team and the people supported by Jewish Care Scotland.

Jewish Care Scotland CEO Linda Kemp has been recognised in the Positive Impact category, which will recognise someone who has made a significant and sustained contribution to the sector.  Linda has brought over 35 years’ management experience within health and social care across the private and public sectors including the NHS, Scottish Prison Service, Local Authority, private care provision and the Care Inspectorate to Jewish Care Scotland since her appointment in August 2022.

The organisation, based in Giffnock, has also been shortlisted in the prestigious Provider of the Year category.  The charity adapted their service delivery due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns in 2020 to be able to offer care at home.  These services have increased in demand since then and have a hugely positive impact on those who are supported by the service.

 

The winners will be announced at the Scottish Care Care at Home & Housing Support Awards in Glasgow in May.

On Sunday the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust sadly announced that Henry Wuga had died, just a month after celebrating his 100th birthday.

Henry Wuga has lived an extraordinary life. At just 15 years old Mr. Henry Wuga was evacuated from Nazi Germany, escaping to Glasgow where he became instrumental in educating people about the horrors of the Holocaust. He spent the majority of his life working to preserve records of the Holocaust; enabling people to learn about his remarkable life while guiding the community that had taken him in as a child refugee.

He later married and raised a family with Ingrid Wolffe, a fellow German-Jewish refugee. The couple continued to play an active role in engaging with schools, delivering speeches and classes on the Holocaust.

“When Henry and his wife attended Jewish Care Scotland clubs from time to time it was a great privilege to have them here.” Jewish Care Scotland’s Honorary President, Maureen Solomons reflects on Henry and Ingrid’s relationship with JCS.

At one point, Wuga worked as a ski instructor for the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association where he taught veterans who had lost limbs to ski, for which he was named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1999.

JCS’s Head of Community and Wellbeing, Lynsey Allan recalls: “In later years Henry supported his wife, Ingrid. Ingrid was a great character at the club and I remember she particularly enjoyed sitting in the sunshine, as well as an occasional afternoon snooze! I was always touched by the sight of Henry waiting to collect her from the bus at the end of the day. They were clearly a great partnership and a loving couple.”

As renowned figure in the Glasgow-Jewish community Henry was a dedicated Holocaust educator whose light shined on many. His story lives on in everyone who was lucky enough to hear it.

JCS celebrate International Women’s Day with a ladies’ discussion panel

13 March 2024

To celebrate International Women’s Day JCS hosted their first Ladies’ Discussion Panel on Wednesday 13 March – together Lennie Wilson, joined by panellists Rebbetzin Rubin, Deborah Haas and Madeleine Black.

After JCS’s drop-in style café, Welcome Wednesday the all-ladies discussion garnered an engaged group to hear the panellists discuss topics relating to the achievements of women and girls in the community.

(L-R) Deborah Haas, Madeleine Black, Rebbetzin Rubin.

When asked what changes she’d like to see in society Madeleine Black stated: “Equality. Whether that’s through education or breaking the glass ceiling. Equal pay and career opportunities, being treated the same regardless of your age, gender or race. That’s what I’d like to see.”

The next panel, titled, ‘Where are we going as a community and congregation?’, will be held on Wednesday 10 April, discussion panellists to be confirmed. All are welcome and invited to come and be part of the conversation.