Details of the activities for care experienced young people, their families, carers from Monday 23 October to Sunday 29 October to showcase and celebrate care experienced young people in communities across the city.

Monday 23 October

Makers challenge 2023

Be in with a chance to win a £25 voucher – all you have to do is create a piece of art on the theme ‘Happy and Healthy’ and email a photo to corporateparenting@edinburgh.gov.uk by Sunday 29 October. If you would like a craft pack, please email corporateparenting@edinburgh.gov.uk

Tuesday 24 October

Throughcare and Aftercare happy and healthy drop-in

10am to 2pm, Grassmarket Room, 249 High Street

Come and celebrate the achievements of our young people and enjoy the smoothie tasting bar with healthy drinks and breakfast choices

• health and wellbeing including gym and nutrition with Edinburgh Leisure
• physical, mental and sexual health advice from a nurse practitioner
• add your healthy recipes to a cookbook for young people
• information on health-related careers

Bookbug (ticketed event)

Drumbrae Library, 1.30pm to 2pm

Family Based Care is hosting a Bookbug session for foster carers and kinship carers. Bring along your under 5’s for a 30 minute session of singing, stories and games. Tickets are limited so book early. Book tickets for Bookbug on Eventbrite. 

Remembrance service

West Princes Street Gardens, 5.30pm to 6pm

A remembrance service will be held on the evening of Tuesday 24 October, to mark the passing of members of the care experienced community. Please come along to pay your respects and spend time together remembering their importance to us. This will also be the official unveiling of the Remembrance Bench which has been placed in the gardens, as a place to come and remember those we have lost. No need to book, but in the event of extreme weather, this event will be rescheduled.

Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum - mental health event

Cornerstone Centre, St John's Church, Princes Street, 6pm to 8pm

Join Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum at their mental health and wellbeing hub. This is open to anyone with care experience and their support networks to learn about how to improve your mental health and wellbeing and find out more about local support services including gym memberships and holistic therapies. Book your space for mental health event on the events tab

Wednesday 25 October

Residential Houses family dinner night

Our residential houses are hosting family dinner nights, where they will be cooking up their favourite recipes and sharing food. We look forward to adding these recipes to our family cookbook and seeing some pictures of the different meals the houses choose.

Thursday 26 October

Champions Board special gathering

Venue tbc, 5pm to 7pm

Both Junior and Senior Champions will be invited to attend a special meeting with their Ambassadors and friends of the Board to celebrate the hard work they have all put in over the last year. There will be plenty of food and games – look out for pictures on our twitter page @edinburghchamps

Friday 27 October

Carer’s coffee morning

McDonald Road Library, 10.30am to noon

A chance for Kinship carers, foster carers and adopters to come together for a cuppa and a natter. We will have recipe cards available for contributions towards our family cookbook, so get thinking about the recipes that you would like to pass on to future generations.

Saturday 28 October

Aquadash (ticketed event)

Royal Commonwealth Pool, 4.45pm to 5.35pm (register from 4.30pm)

Get your tickets booked and pop down to the Royal Commonwealth Pool for 50 minutes of fun and games on this obstacle course on the water.  Suitable for anyone aged 6 and over, tickets are available for children and young people from the Care Experienced Community, and those who care for them. Book tickets for Aquadash on Eventbrite.

Time to Shine (ticketed event)

Who Cares? Scotland’s annual Time to Shine Festival is an opportunity for Scotland’s Care Experienced community and their friends to come together, have fun and celebrate Care Experienced Week.

This year they are transporting you to Hollywood and the world of cinema as their theme is “Film Characters”, as chosen by their members. Expect street food stalls, plenty of popcorn, a cinema room, a DJ and lots of activities and fun for Care Experienced people of all ages!

Dress up as your favourite film character and we will see you on the red carpet! Book your space for Time to Shine.

Sunday 29 October

Love Rally

March from Glasgow Green to George Square to show your commitment to achieving a lifetime of love for Care Experienced people across Scotland. Last year around 500 Care Experienced people and their supporters marched at the Love Rally, and they hope to go even bigger this year, so spread the word! Find out more about Love Rally.