2026 marks 10 years of Mearns Kirk Helping Hands as the community charity it is today.
To celebrate 10 years of impact, we asked members, volunteers and staff to share their memories. Keep an eye on this page, we'll be updating it throughout the year...
This is the first AGM I was asked to organise, in 2019. I was very, very nervous but it was alright on the night! Ken MacIntosh kindly agreed to attend and gave a lovely commendation of our work in the community. This is our original line up of trustees, including Joe Kavanagh, who's idea of helping reduce loneliness and isolation in our community launched Mearns Kirk Helping Hands. (Vicky Attwood, Operations Manager).
The very start of the table tennis group, back in 2024. Two members quickly became 25!! The group is now affiliated with Table Tennis Scotland.
Evelyn Humes attends the Jubilee Concert in London in 2022. Evelyn was awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award, having volunteered with many groups in Mearns Kirk Helping Hands from the very start (and in fact before the start, as a volunteer with Mearns Kirk). Always busy in the background, Evelyn was an incredibly deserving awardee, and had a ball attending the concert (which also involved her taking her very first flight!)
Blast from the past! From the days we delivered IT learning groups as part of Mearns Kirk Helping Hands. We pride ourselves on both responding to community need and ensuring we aren't duplicating work carried out by other organisations. The offer of IT support by East Renfrewshire libraries is excellent, so we decided our resources were best placed providing additional dementia supports and classes ended in 2022.
We carried on delivering our groups and activities through the pandemic. The Lunch and Social Club for People Living with Dementia formed a working group of volunteers who brought members together online every Thursday for chat, singing, magic shows and everything in between. At Christmas, volunteers delivered these boxes to members who opened them together online. It was a really special day (Lunch Club volunteer).
Blether and Brew is launched! In 2018, in response to members of the Friendship Club asking for an activity which would run alternately with the Friendship Club. Suzanne (left) is still volunteering with us!
And we’re not stopping here. Demand for our services continues to grow. If you want to help us continue to deliver impact, click here.