THE volunteers behind a community outreach service in Ayr have perfectly captured the spirit of the town's most famous son at a Burns supper held as part of efforts to connect with people living in some of the town's most deprived areas.
The Riverside Community Trust's award-winning Care and Share initiative provides a hot meal and warm space every Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 3.30pm.
It also provides access to key services, including the NHS’s South Ayrshire Treatment and Recovery Team (START), Alcohol and Drug Partnership, Seascape Housing Support, NHS Oral Health Team, Ayr Housing Aid Centre, Outside Clinic Opticians, Circles Advocacy, Home Energy Scotland, Connect 4 Change and others.
Hosted entirely by volunteers and heavily reliant on generous donations of produce, the kitchen team manages to turn out grub to be proud of each week.
Betty, Gill and Susan in the kitchen
They often follow a theme or mark a special occasion – and for an Ayr-based project, there’s no bigger occasion than the celebration of Robert Burns.
The two-course menu for the day included cock-a-leekie soup, followed by haggis, neeps and tatties. The haggis received all the pomp that accompanies the 200-year-old tradition, piped in by Peter Bryson before being addressed with true Scottish vigour by Mervyn Stuart.
And true to the Address to a Haggis, community diners all left with full bellies – or weel swall’d kytes, if you prefer - and grateful for the work done by the non-profit initiative.
Mervyn Stuart addressing the haggis
Care and Share began in 2008 as a collaboration between Riverside Church and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, initially to support people affected by homelessness.
It’s evolved over the past 15 years into an organisation that provides a range of services to people affected by repeated homelessness, as well as people with problematic substance misuse.
Today, it’s a central component of South Ayrshire’s alcohol and drug strategy and implements the Scottish Government’s recovery oriented system of care (ROSC).
Hazel and Carmen
Care and Share won the COSLA Gold Award in 2009 for its innovative practice.
Since March 2023, more than 1,520 covers have been served through the community dining scheme and 357 referrals have been made to the services offered.
Lizzie Adrain, RCT’s acting co-ordinator, said: “RCT aims to support people towards healthy, safe and fulfilling choices that help people experience the long term benefits of stability and security.”
Marion and Linda getting food from Susan
“People are supported on an individual basis to inspire hope and build confidence to access wider options that are available to them
“They attend Care and Share for various reasons, but we find they are mainly seeking social connection,” she added.
“We have become a place where people come because they know they can get help with something through the extensive network of partners we have developed over the years with staff and volunteers who can quickly help them find solutions.”
The two forces behind Care & Share - Betty Sinclair and Lizzie Adrain
Over the past year, RCT has partnered with South Ayrshire Council – with the support of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit – to employ two ‘community navigators’ specifically for the Wallacetown area of Ayr.
They work with South Ayrshire Council’s housing and Thriving Communities teams, as well as staff at Newton Primary, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
In their first three months, the ‘community navigators’ referred around 100 local residents to other agencies after they came through the service seeking further support.
Karly and Allan
“This demonstrates both the need in the area and the productivity of the team working around the area,” Lizzie continued.
“Without committed, enthusiastic and sympathetic staff working in Wallacetown, residents and community members would not have access to further support.
“The aim of this work is to help improve the quality of people’s lives, and by doing so, helping to improve the outcomes for the area in terms of health, crime and the effects of poverty.”
Hugh
The RCT team’s outreach work generally involves handing out packed lunches, along with offering advice, signposting, basic first aid, Naloxone kits and access to a phone or internet.
This is done in partnership with Seascape (housing support workers), START (NHS community addictions nurses), Connect 4 Change (addiction intensive support workers) and Housing 1st (local authority that supports workers for people experiencing repeat homelessness).
“Being able to work alongside colleagues with various expertise means that people can get help there and then without the need to arrange appointments,” Lizzie said.
The real angels - RCT's two community navigators, Karen and Alex
“Also, working closely with other agencies has helped inform us of what help is currently available and has improved communication between us, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the people we are working with.”
Through this model, more than 780 contacts have been made on outreach since March last year.
Allison from Ayr Housing Aid Centre was among the guests
“Throughout 2023, we were able to run a number of group outings for people who were socially isolated,” Lizzie added.
“We ran 12 visits to local attractions, parks or historical spots with 95 attendances. These trips improved the quality of people’’ lives in terms of mental and physical health, and as a diversion from harmful routines.”
Care and Share’s volunteers are justifiably proud of the quality of the hearty meals they produce each week and the smiles a comfortably full stomach generates.
Peter Bryson with Sue and Raymond Chan from Ocean View Chinese Takeaway
More than 60 people dropped in for a Christmas lunch, along with another 15 home deliveries, while once a month the community is also treated to a fabulous Chinese feast, charitably provided by Raymond and Sue Chan from Ocean View Chinese Takeaway in Ayr’s Harbour Street.
“We currently have 28 active volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering with us for five or more years,” said Lizzie.
“In order to run our weekly activities, we require around 40 voluntary hours a week.
It takes a community of volunteers to deliver the project: pictured from left are Susan, Gill, Alex, Mark, Lizzie, Karen, Betty, John, Karen, Doreen and Linda
“Our drop-ins simply couldn’t operate without such committed and enthusiastic people.”
Find out more about the Riverside Community Trust and its work in at riversidecommunitytrust.org.uk or the 'Riverside Community Trust' page on Facebook.
Words and pictures contributed by Gill Fulton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here