The Eric Liddell Community has launched its 2025 Summer Appeal, calling on the public to support former unpaid carers facing emotional and social challenges after their caring role ends.
In Scotland, 1 in 8 people provide unpaid care to loved ones with dementia, disabilities, or long-term illness. But when that role ends – when their loved one passes away or moves into a care home – carers are often left with deep grief, isolation, and a loss of identity.
The funds raised will support Transition Talks, a unique part of the charity’s befriending service that provides 3 to 6 months of one-to-one emotional support for former carers. Trained volunteer befrienders offer regular companionship through walks, coffee outings, museum visits or simply listening – helping people rebuild confidence and reconnect with the world.
Hannah Rees, Fundraising Relationships Officer at The Eric Liddell Community, said: “No one should have to face life after caring alone. Transition Talks offers meaningful connections at a time when many former carers feel very lost and lonely. In 2024, we delivered over 2,500 hours of emotional support through our befriending services – but with funding cuts across Edinburgh, we need the public’s help to keep this vital support going.”
One former carer, Graham (name changed), had cared for his wife for over a decade as she lived with dementia. After she passed away, Graham experienced a deep sense of loss – not just of his partner, but of the identity and routine that caring had given him. He joined the charity’s Expressive Arts group, and later enrolled in Transition Talks, where he was matched with Robert (name change), a trained befriender. The pair bonded over shared interests – visiting museums, playing lawn bowls and pitch and putt, and enjoying conversations over coffee.
This companionship enabled Graham to build up the confidence to enjoy a solo holiday, as Robert’s listening ear allowed him to process his grief and explore rebuilding his identity.
Your donation could help provide:
£7 – a coffee and conversation during a Transition Talks session
£25 – a meal out for a befriending match
£40 – a month of emotional check-ins and support for a former carer
Hannah Rees added: “Your kindness can help someone feel seen, heard, and valued at a moment of deep personal loss. Together, we can offer comfort, connection and community to those who’ve given so much to care for others.”