Mearns Kirk Helping Hands evolved from the good work carried out by volunteers from Mearns Kirk Church, and has grown into the volunteer-led, community-based charity it is today, open to all faiths and none.
Our three founding groups were established as far back as 1990 and continue to this day - The Friendship Club in 1990, The Eastwood Bereavement Group in 2008 and The Lunch and Social Club for People Living with Dementia in 2013.
In 2016, it was decided that Mearns Kirk Helping Hands be established as a registered charity to enable us to develop and expand our services to cover the whole of East Renfrewshire.
Since then, we’ve introduced a raft of new activities. Check out our timeline below.
1990
The Friendship Club
The Friendship Club has flourished since it started 35 years ago to become one of our most popular groups. Members meet fortnightly and enjoy a blether and cuppa, listening to invited singers and musicians.
2008
Eastwood Bereavement Group
Recognising the need to support people coping with the loss of a loved one, The Eastwood Bereavement Group was set up in 2008. It’s a small group led by volunteers offering peer support in a safe and caring environment.
2013
The Lunch & Social Club for People Living with Dementia
Joe Kavanagh, Minister at Mearns Kirk Church at the time, became aware of the number of people in the local area who were living with dementia and the number of carers who needed support. In response, The Lunch & Social Club for People Living with Dementia was founded in 2013, providing a supportive and respectful space for those with dementia and respite for carers.
2016
Mearns Kirk Helping Hands is Established
Mearns Kirk Helping Hands was officially established and registered with OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator.
2018
Blether & Brew (Afternoon Tea on Tuesdays)
Listening to feedback, we set up Blether & Brew to fill the gap when the Friendship Club didn’t meet. This was the first new group set up under the Mearns Kirk Helping Hands banner, and established our "way of working", listening and responding to what our community tell us they need. It’s since evolved to become our Afternoon Tea on Tuesdays.
2018
Tai Chi
2018 continued to be a bumper year with the start of our Tai Chi classes, using the skills of a local instructor. Improving wellbeing is at the heart of what we do.
2019
Men's Breakfast Club
One of our volunteers suggested we run a club that would encourage more men to come along. Based on the idea of a ‘works’ canteen,’ the Breakfast Club was born in 2019 and has proved hugely successful.
2019
Sporting Memories Group
We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to connect with people, so we were delighted to partner with the Sporting Memories Foundation in 2019 to offer this weekly club to talk about all things sport.
2020
The Befriending Project
Knowing that social isolation can lead to physical and mental decline, we introduced the Befriending Project in 2020, offering one to one companionship for people aged 70 and over who feel lonely or isolated
March 2020 – Winter 2021
COVID Lockdown
During this challenging period, we offered all our activities remotely.
2022
Gentle Exercise Classes
Working in collaboration with East Renfrewshire Council, we started our Gentle Exercise classes in 2022 to help improve health and wellbeing. These now run twice a week, led by trained volunteers.
2022
Monday Meet Ups
Listening to our members and seeing demand continue to grow, we started our popular Monday Meet Ups in 2022 which offers activities, crafts, music, home baking and a fresh brew.
2024
Table Tennis Group
A volunteer suggested starting our Table Tennis Group in 2024 after exploring activities that would help a friend diagnosed with Parkinson's. Research shows that table tennis helps with hand/eye coordination as well as overall fitness and wellbeing.
2024
Wonderful Wednesdays
Our Wonderful Wednesday Group was established in 2024 to offer those living with early dementia a chance to enjoy an outing with trained volunteers . Since funding stopped, we've replaced it with Dementia Activity Companions, providing companionship in members' homes.
And we’re not stopping there. Demand for our services continues to grow. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to develop whilst keeping our ethos and values at the heart of everything we do.