Carers Week is an annual campaign helping to raise awareness and support for unpaid carers in the UK.
The campaign, which is supported by various organisations (e.g. Age UK, Carers Trust, Carers UK, The ME Association, MND Association, Oxfam, Rethink Mental Illness and The Lewy Body Society), recognises the huge contribution that unpaid carers make to society, highlighting how important caring is and helping carers to identify themselves as carers and if needed access information and support.
Carers Week takes place from Monday 9th June – Sunday 15th June 2025.
This year’s theme is ‘Caring About Equality’ and activities and communications will focus on different themes throughout Carers Week:
Monday – Health and social care
Tuesday – Financial wellbeing
Wednesday – Work and employment
Thursday – Younger carers
Friday – Older carers
Saturday – Mental health and wellbeing
Sunday – Reflections on Carers Week
You can browse activities and events planned on the Carers Week Activities Calendar (you can search by postcode or area).
To learn more, please visit www.carersweek.org. There are free resources available to download here.
The European Down Syndrome Association (EDSA) are hosting a free webinar on Wednesday 4th June at 4.00pm (UK Time) with guest speaker Professor Monica Cuskelly, Director of Research at the Applied Research Centre for Disability and Wellbeing, University of Tasmania, Australia.
Sibling relationships are among the longest-lasting and most influential connections in a person’s life, playing a vital role in cognitive and social development. In families with a child with Down’s syndrome, these relationships hold unique significance yet remain underexplored in research.
Professor Monica Cuskelly will discuss current findings, identify gaps in understanding, and highlight opportunities to support both individuals with Down’s syndrome and their siblings, fostering positive developmental outcomes for both.
Please click here for event details and registration information.
The STRAVINSKY team is holding a free public webinar on Tuesday 6th May at 18.00-19.00 BST to provide an update on the project’s progress, as well as the current situation around COVID-19 for people with weakened immune systems.
STRAVINSKY (Stratification of Clinically Vulnerable People for COVID-19 Risk Using Antibody Testing) is a 2-year study, which aims to build our understanding of who is most clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and identify individuals or disease groups at highest risk. Using the information, STRAVINSKY hopes to assess the effectiveness of COVID-19 booster vaccine programmes or new treatment strategies for these groups.
Free Public Webinar – Find out more and register
STRAVINSKY Study– Find out more about STRAVINSKY
Join Sibs in celebrating this year’s National Siblings Day on Thursday 10th April 2025.
Young siblings, adult siblings, parents/carers, organisations, charities, professionals and schools are encouraged to get involved in this global awareness day recognising brothers and sisters. Shine a light on the value of sibling relationships, highlight what an important role siblings play in the lives of their disabled brothers and sisters and to celebrate siblings in their own right too.
You can find a selection of FREE downloadable resources (activity packs, poster, leaflet) on the Sibs website to get involved – available here.
Sibs are a charity which supports children and adults throughout the UK who have a sibling(s) with a disability. You can learn more about them here.
Cameron Ord is celebrating World Down’s Syndrome Day this year by baking 21 loaves in 21 days and giving them to friends and family.
Cameron is hoping to raise awareness and raise funds for Down’s Syndrome Scotland. If you would like to support Cameron and the fantastic challenge he is taking on, you can make a donation to his JustGiving page Tracy Ord is fundraising for Down’s Syndrome Scotland
Thank you Cameron for all your effort and support
The Central Branch hosted an amazing tea party and managed to raise a fantastic £448.39.
So many of our families attended and had a great time eating cakes from the bake sale and trying to win a prize on the tombola.
Thank you to everyone who attend and to everyone who helped to make it such an amazing event.
This year’s Down Syndrome Research Forum will be online on the 17th, 18th and 19th March 2025.
Registrations are open to attend this regular international event which is hosted and sponsored by Down Syndrome Education International.
The Down Syndrome Research Forum is an international meeting of researchers and practitioners interested in advances in our understanding of how best to meet the developmental and educational needs of children with Down’s syndrome.
Presentations will cover a range of topics as detailed on the Event Programme.
The forum is aimed primarily at researchers, professionals and postgraduate students. Parents/carers and other family members who are interested in current and future research are also welcome.
A £75.00 fee is charged for this event and registrations close on 19th March. Sessions will be recorded and made available to registered participants to view one month after the event.
Click here for more information and to Register to Attend.
Scottish Golf want individuals with disabilities to know that golf is one of the most inclusive sports to play. Its natural classification system focuses on scores submitted, rather than functional ability and individuals with a disability can also play off any tee set they wish to in order to enhance their golfing experience. Whether someone is new to the game or an experienced golfer, they say it’s a fantastic sport to be a part of.
You can read about the benefits of golf, including inspiring stories from golfers with disabilities on the Scottish Golf dedicated webpage for Disability golf.
FREE Coaching sessions for participants with a disability
Over the coming months Scottish Golf will be offering coaching sessions across Scotland for participants with a disability to experience structured-based, interactive golf sessions led by club volunteers, Community Golf Instructors (CGIs) and PGA professionals.
Sessions will be held in Aberdeenshire, Inverness, St Andrews, Midlothian and Glasgow.
All sessions are free and will involve the following opportunities:
- Learning the fundamentals using activities and games
- Tailored skills development
- Driving range sessions
Get your EDGA Pass
This season Scottish Golf is encouraging all players who have a disability, who play golf regularly, to apply for an EDGA Pass.
This official accreditation (recognised and endorsed by The R&A), supports players’ participation, while improving awareness and integration within a golf club environment.
You can find out more and apply here.
Individual Bursary for golfers with a disability
In addition, Scottish Golf, in collaboration with the Scottish Golf Charitable Trust (the SGCT), are also delighted to have launched a new bursary for golfers with a disability, which forms part of their ongoing development and investment in disability golf pathways in Scotland.
The bursary will provide financial assistance to cover the expenses incurred in competing in domestic and/or international disability golf events. Successful applicants will receive up to a maximum value of £700 per person for the 2025 season.
Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) have released details about their Annual Conference for 2025, which will be held at the Radisson Blu, Glasgow on Wednesday 30th April 2025.
Key Themes:
-Bringing together individuals with lived experience, the third sector and health and social care professionals.
-Explore key issues, including human rights, prevention, social care reform, and community resilience.
-Engage in meaningful, open and honest discussions on health and social care reform in Scotland.
Please click on the links below for further information and to register.
ALLIANCE Annual Conference 2025