CARE experience charity Who Cares? Scotland has opened up about their Christmas plans, after the Covid-19 crisis halted their annual dinner.

Volunteers at the city centre-based charity would normally be spending the run-up to Christmas organising what would have been their seventh annual Care Family Christmas Dinner at SWG3.

However, the event, which brings care-experienced people from all over the country together on Christmas Day, has been cancelled this year, although the charity are making sure that people in care are still being looked out for during the festive period.

Kenny Murray, from Who Cares? Scotland, said: “We were all pretty gutted when we found out we couldn’t host the dinner this year, because it is all about connection and giving folk somewhere to go, but we’re hoping that we can offer support to those who need it in other ways.”

Glasgow Times: Volunteers Kerry Glencross, Tony Anderson and Megan Sutherland at the 2019 Care family Christmas Dinner at SWG3. This year's event has been replaced by an alternative Christmas calendar at the charity.Volunteers Kerry Glencross, Tony Anderson and Megan Sutherland at the 2019 Care family Christmas Dinner at SWG3. This year's event has been replaced by an alternative Christmas calendar at the charity.

The charity has organised a ‘Christmas Wish’ for people in care throughout December, where people can ask for a ‘wish’ which the charity has been hard at work trying to make come true.

Kenny said: “It could be something as simple as a text message from someone or a Skype or Zoom, or even a b it of money so that they can go out and buy a present for a friend.

“For a lot of people, a phone top up is something that they’re looking for because it’s the only way that they get to keep in touch with people.

“It means a lot to people in care-experienced situations and offering something like this, especially after the year we’ve all had, helps to build that scaffolding around them.”

Who Cares? has also organised for a Christmas parcel to be sent out to all members of the charity and a helpline which will operate throughout the festive season.

Kenny said: “In the Christmas parcel, people get a copy of Speak Out magazine, which is out own magazine, and a Christmas card.

“It sounds like nothing but for care-experienced people, Christmas cards are that physical reminder that someone is thinking of them, especially in a year where we can’t physically meet up.”

Members will also be able to take part in the charity’s digital calendar of events, which includes cooking workshops and film screenings.

Kenny said: “Christmas is a difficult time for care-experienced people who may not feel as though they have a home for Christmas.

“One of the things I think a lot of us overlook is just how ingrained the care experience is in our Christmas films and TV.

“Elf is a modern classic and ask anyone from a younger generation and chances are that it is one of their favourite Christmas films, but Buddy the Elf is care-experienced.

“A lot of people take comfort from these stories at Christmas.”