Caring Soles, operated by the Eric Liddell Centre, faced an uncertain future after being knocked back for funding last year
Plans to secure the future of a community health service for older people are moving forward.
The Eric Liddell Centre has set an aspirational three-year fundraising target of £120,000 to secure the future of its popular Caring Soles footcare service.
Caring Soles helps people with non-medical footcare support, whilst also supporting those experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
The care charity and community hub based in South Edinburgh is refusing to rest on its laurels after successfully launching an emergency fundraising appeal in January.
Since then, £40,000 has been raised for the service, which faced an uncertain future following an unsuccessful funding bid made to the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board in late 2018. The £40,000 raised so far ensures the delivery of Caring Soles until the end of March 2020.
It is hoped that by reaching this target, the service - which is delivered in Wester Hailes, Gorgie/Dalry, Restalrig and Morningside - can be preserved for the foreseeable future.
John MacMillan, chief executive of the Eric Liddell Centre, said: “We have been completely overwhelmed with the level of support which we have received for our emergency fundraising appeal. This speaks volumes about the high regard in which the Caring Soles service is held and has allowed us the breathing space to continue to run the service while we continue to seek external funding for future years.
“In the meantime, the Caring Soles service still remains reliant on donations in order to remain operational. By setting ourselves this ambitious target, in addition to adjusting costs of appointments, we are taking steps to ensure that this popular service becomes self-sustainable.”
Last year, more than 350 Edinburgh residents benefitted from the initiative, which was created to help those who cannot afford private podiatry treatment. The service was praised for the health benefits it had for participants, who were often not only more mobile but experienced general improvements to their mental and physical health.
