A Lanarkshire charity supporting young people with disabilities and life-limiting illnesses and their families and carers has been awarded a Scottish Government grant for a vital therapy programme.
Smile, based in Larkhall, is providing weekly holistic treatments for carers ranging from reiki to reflexology after receiving £15,000 from the national self-management fund distributed by the Health and Social Care Alliance.
The sessions are carried out at Hilary’s House of Calm in Uddingston, offering carers a range of treatments to provide a welcome respite break and help them to care for themselves as well as their loved ones.
Carers can choose from a variety of therapies including crystal healing, impact wellbeing, Indian head massage and Japanese hand massage.
Smile founder and chief executive Wendy Meek said: “I’m delighted as the provision of free holistic therapies will break down any access barriers and allow our carers the opportunity to experience their benefits, allowing them to improve their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing.
“As a carer myself of a child with a disability and life-limiting illness, I fully understand the unique pressures and stresses experienced – and this project offers tools for self management after the initial therapy.”
Wendy and husband Stephen founded Smile earlier this year in memory of their 10-year-old son Justin, who had a life-limiting genetic condition and who died in 2014.
Their youngest daughter Charlotte, 13, who has a similar condition, recently took part in the Glasgow and Edinburgh Kiltwalks to raise funds for the charity’s aim to provide a respite retreat for families in rural South Lanarkshire.
Smile stands for Special Memories In Lanarkshire Every day and supports children and young people aged up to 25 and their loved ones; and the charity recently opened a fundraising shop in Larkhall to help towards their work.
The charity was awarded the Alliance self-management fund’s grant of £15,000 to provide the holistic therapy programme for a year free of charge to carers of seriously ill, disabled or neurodiverse children and young people aged up to 25 living in Lanarkshire.
It supports third-sector and community organisations across Scotland to develop self-management activities, including “supporting unpaid carers to understand [its] importance and to develop skills which maximise their health and wellbeing”.
Carers can register to find out more using the online form at https://forms.office.com/r/SZcw71yjAP
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