A HELENSBURGH charity has been honoured for its work in supporting unpaid carers.

Helensburgh and Lomond Carers was awarded the Excellence for Carers Award by the Carers Trust after impressing in a range of categories including the quality of its leadership, staff, internal processes and its engagement with local partners.

The award acknowledged best practice in delivering services, information and advice to unpaid carers.

Welcoming the award, the manager of Helensburgh and Lomond Carers SCIO, Sharon Richardson, said: “We are delighted to receive this award from the Carers Trust in recognition of our unwavering commitment to making a positive difference to the lives of unpaid carers in Helensburgh and Lomond.

“I lead a dedicated, resourceful, and innovative staff team, supported by volunteers, who pursue our aims and aspirations with enthusiasm, compassion and a deep understanding of the needs of unpaid carers in our community and the personal outcomes they are seeking.   

“We cannot help carers achieve all of these outcomes on our own and are fortunate to have developed constructive and effective partnerships with other organisations operating in our area who share our desire to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve.”

Recognising best practice

Excellence for Carers is the Carers Trust standard for best practice in delivering services, information and advice to unpaid carers. It is awarded to partner charities within the Carers Trust Network which can demonstrate excellence of service to unpaid carers and a culture that strives for excellence.

In making the award, the Carers Trust said in its report that the Helensburgh service “has a dedicated and skilled team of staff and trustees who strive to make a difference to the lives of carers and have the passion, competence and determination for the benefit of carers.

“The organisation and its people have a clear sense of purpose, mission and direction; and well-integrated and engaged into the local and national landscape; shaping, contributing, and influencing outcomes and priorities for unpaid carers.”

Scott Lafferty, network development manager (Scotland) at Carers Trust, continued: “It was abundantly clear and evident that everyone across Helensburgh and Lomond Carers SCIO team, from staff, management and trustees; as well as from carers and external partners, that it is a network partner carer centre dedicated and committed to achieving a culture of excellence for unpaid carers living in the Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute.

“They have managed to achieve this in amongst rising to the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic and as they remobilise and set their Covid-19 recovery in motion for the many unpaid carers they work with and for.

“I am delighted that they have achieved Excellence for Carers and I very much look forward to seeing Helensburgh and Lomond Carers SCIO continuing to shine in its determination to continue to have the capacity to making a lasting difference for unpaid carers.”