Carefree Chorus - in great voice - come and join us!

Lesley and Kerry from Fife Carers Centre have really been enjoying getting together to sing with the Carefree Chorus (our Choir’s new name!) who have been in good voice each Thursday between 11am and 1pm at the Pathhead Parish Church Hall in Kirkcaldy. Leading us in our efforts are Bob Barclay, Irene Campbell and Christine Webster who have all volunteered their time and expertise and have been absolutely brilliant!  Naturally our singing has also been pretty darned brilliant (to our ears anyway!) and the selection of songs has ranged from Abba to Lloyd Webber & Rice with pit stops in the great American songbook on the way.  It’s been fun and sociable with moments of hilarity and heartache along the way – music really does touch the full range of emotions!  The idea behind having a singing group/choir was to bring carers and former carers together giving them time away from the caring role with people who share similar experiences.  Carefree Chorus has a fluctuating number of people in attendance - anything from 12 to 30 depending on what’s going on in our lives at the time.  We invite any carers and former carers to join us whether you have a great voice or not – enthusiasm is what counts here!  Just come along any Thursday – you’ll be very welcome and in the immortal words of Karen Carpenter “Don’t worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear - just sing, sing a song!”

Short Breaks Fund - A Time to Live

If you are a Carer living and caring for an adult in Fife, a funding stream is now available to help with the costs of taking a break from caring. The funding stream is called Time to Live, and this funding is part of the Short Breaks Fund - administered by Shared Care Scotland on behalf of the national carer organisations and the Scottish Government. Locally-based organisations have been asked to manage the fund and Fife Voluntary Action is working with Fife Carers Centre, Crossroads and Fife Young Carers to make sure carers know about the fund and are encouraged to make applications.

You can apply at any time - there are no deadlines, however this Fund is currently scheduled to end in September 2013.

For more information and to download an Application Form and Guidance Notes please visit the Fife Voluntary Action website at http://www.fifevoluntaryaction.org.uk/short_breaks_fund.asp

If you have any problems downloading the form or have any initial queries regarding the Time to Live Funding, please contact Isabel Ritchie on 01592 567001.

About Time To Live Funding

 The Scottish Government has made the Short Breaks Fund available to help support and sustain carers (including young carers and kinship carers) through enabling better access to short breaks or respite care. The Fund will be used to help develop existing, new and innovative models of short breaks which will help to support current and future provision of short breaks and respite care. The funding is designed to support a 'preventative' approach to short break provision, recognising the importance of planned breaks in promoting good health and wellbeing for carers and those they care for. The funding is being tried out in twelve different areas in Scotland, and it is hoped that the learning from the Short Breaks Fund projects will inform future policy and practice.

 

 Time to Live Funding has the following aims:

• Carers and those they care for will have improved physical and emotional wellbeing;

• Carers will have more opportunity to live a life outside of caring;

• Carers will be better able to keep going with their caring roles;

• Carers with little support will have more opportunity to access breaks.

 

 The funding can help with a range of costs associated with short breaks, including transport, accommodation, leisure activities and supported holidays. Applications can be for amounts up to £500.