We are now 8 months into restrictions due to Covid-19. The hospitality industry has been massively impacted, as have Scotland’s unpaid carers, many of whom have seen an increase in their caring role due to services for the cared for person reducing or closing. Therefore Respitality has been operating slightly differently! Here’s what we have been up to.
Meet the Respitality family!
Respitality in Scotland operates as a social franchise, which means we work with local carers organisations to develop and mould the Respitality model to suit the carers they support and the businesses they engage with. We currently work with organisations that cover 17 local authority areas in Scotland, and without these amazing workers, unpaid carers wouldn’t be able to access Respitality breaks.
In a world of video calls, we come together virtually once a month to discuss Respitality matters such as national and local updates with the project, any updates around Covid-19 restrictions and how this may impact on businesses and carer confidence, as well as discussing innovative ideas for short breaks.Since lockdown, we have been lucky to welcome three more delivery partners on board! Carers of West Lothian, East Renfrewshire Carers Centre and Carers Link East Dunbartonshire have joined Respitality to help provide carers with this vital short break when they need it most.
Giving back to the hospitality, tourism & leisure sector
We received a donation from the Scottish Tourism Board which we have decided to use to purchase vouchers from businesses in the food industry to pass onto carers. Not only are we able to provide a few extra breaks for unpaid carers, but we can give back to businesses during their time of need as well.
Throughout lockdown, we have also been keen to make our stakeholders know that if they or anyone they know personally or professionally is an unpaid carer and they need some advice and support, they are more than welcome to contact us to help put them in touch with the most suitable organisation. And if you run a business, Carer Positive can guide you on how you can ensure you have a supportive working environment for unpaid carers in your team.
We want to hear from our donors, past and present!
Respitality is continuously learning and evaluating how to best meet the needs of our stakeholders, and we always welcome any feedback you have. If your business has ever donated to Respitality recently or in the past, please click on the link below to tell us about your Respitality experience.
We have been very lucky for businesses who have been in a position to offer their support to Respitality locally and nationally with breaks during lockdown
One exciting change that has recently come to Respitality as a result of lockdown is that virtual break opportunities have begun to be a part of the Respitality offer.
Dewars Aberfeldy Distillery kindly hosting a virtual whisky tasting and cocktail making class for 20 unpaid carers across Scotland. Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland also donated a place in their fantastic Taste of The Highlands virtual session. We were also delighted that Cath Brannan from YES Your Entire Self led weekly mindfulness sessions throughout November and December to support unpaid carers in the lead up to Christmas time, and Rogue Village began to offer full access to their online workshops covering such things as soap making, photography and floristry!
Michael, an unpaid carer from Perthshire who attended the Dewars Whisky Tasting and Cocktail Making Virtual Session said: “It was an excellent session. Dewar’s were marvellous and the explanations by hosts Gary and Alex were informative and entertaining. This was a special occasion. It was a good break from my caring role. Thank you!”
Not only have they kept us informed of developments that affect the tourism sector, they have also spread the word about the project via their communication platforms and provided the opportunities for us to co-host webinars and presentation slots in relevant meetings with key hospitality contacts. We cannot thank them enough for allowing us to be part of these significant conversations.
Sharing Our Learning
We have spent this time connecting with contacts across both the hospitality industry and third sector. We were delighted to be asked to be part of Edinburgh Napier’s International Hospitality Department’s podcast for their students, which features guests from very interesting backgrounds in hospitality to share their story and learning of the hospitality sector. We were also invited to take part in an online event hosted by All Wales Forum to explore how a service similar to Respitality may work in Wales.
Upcoming events
We are hosting a webinar in February 2021 Respitality: A Fun and Alternative Short Breaks Option is for organisations with a carers support remit to find out more about the project and how they can become a delivery partner.