Care Home Week: Guest post from Rachel Duff

Care Home Week: Guest post from Rachel Duff

On Saturday of Care Home Week, we are celebrating the brilliant contributions of volunteers in our care homes.  

We’re delighted to share a blog from Rachel Duff, Operations Director at Bandrum Nursing Home, which highlights the importance of care home volunteers…

 

‘Friends of Bandrum’  is a volunteer group at Bandrum Nursing Home, including Malcolm and Yvonne Gosling and Irene McKnight.

The friends have been a voluntary group at Bandrum for a number of years now.  All visited a loved one at Bandrum and liked it so much they decided they would like to do more and help the other residents as well as their own loved one.  They began coming in meeting residents, helping on activities and being another voice and friend for the residents.  Now they bring Rosy,their Pets as Therapy doggie friend in with them.  They also hold residents forums and carry our dining audits as well as going on trips and enjoying themselves while being friends to the residents.  They also contribute to the newsletter and help out at all the homes functions.

In 2015 the group won the Volunteer/Care Home Friend of the Year Award at the Scottish Care Awards for their amazing work at Bandrum.  They are all very humble about the great work they do at Bandrum and are hugely supported by the home.
.
The group like helping others, being part of the home and being a friendly voice for the residents.

Here is a clip from a recent newsletter:

Friends of Bandrum
After the busy Festive period, everyone enjoyed our Burns Afternoon held in Brightside Cafe on Wednesday 25th January. There was plenty of singing, laughter and good company.

We look forward to joining in on some of the trips organised for the summer to help out wherever we can. We can get the teas, push a wheelchair or just chat.

As you can see, the Friends of Bandrum enjoy being involved and feeling useful. Would you like to join us and help us to continue with this very worthwhile past time?  We are looking for volunteers to give a little of their time. If you think this might be you, please contact Bandrum reception.

Keep an eye on our Notice Board in reception for details of our next meeting (which you are all always welcome to attend) and for the details of all forthcoming activities.

Thank you, Friends of Bandrum

Rachel Duff

Bandrum Nursing Home

 

#carehomeweek

Nursing 2026 report

New Nursing Workforce Report Launched

New nursing workforce report launched at Scottish Care Nursing Conference Scottish Care has today launched its Nursing Workforce Survey 2026

Ageing Commons webinar 24 September 2026 social media card

International Lessons for Long-Term Care Reform: How Change Happens – 24 September

An Ageing Commons webinar Date: 24 September 2026 Time: 8.00 US EST/ 9.00 CLT/ 13.00 BST/ 14.00 CET/ 15.30 IST/

Early Bird Tickets CH 26 Post

Early Bird Tickets Now Available: The Home that Care Creates

Bookings are now open for Scottish Care’s National Care Home Conference & Exhibition 2026, The Home that Care Creates. Join

Workforce Matters 2026 Event Graphic

Workforce Matters Event – 1 October 2026

Valuing Social Care Expertise: Resilience, Relationships and Professional Judgement Scottish Care is delighted to invite members to our next Workforce

Displaced Worker Eventss

Displaced Worker Recruitment Events 2026-27

Scottish Care, CCPS, COSLA and Osborne and Allan are pleased to invite Scottish social care providers to participate in a

workforce

Re-Launch of the Adult Social Care Displaced Worker Scheme – 31 July

The Adult Social Care Displaced Worker Scheme offers targeted funding to adult social care employers based in Scotland to recruit