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The Carelidh 2023
17 February @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
We’re askin’, are ye dancin’!?
The Carelidh is back! Come along and celebrate Care Day 2023 with us. There will be live music and dancing, food and drink, time to catch up with old friends and a chance to make new ones.
We will also be taking some time to recognise several Care Experienced champions and their work on behalf of the Care Experienced community. More to be revealed on this later!
This event is for Who Cares? Scotland Care Experienced members and their supporters. Are you Care Experienced but not a member yet? No worries, you can sign up here before registering for this event. The Carelidh is a family-friendly event open to all ages. We do ask that guests under the age of 16 be accompanied by an adult.
All our events are dry events which means there will be no alcoholic drinks available and you are not permitted to bring your own.
What is Care Day?
According to the UN: “International days are occasions to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilise political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.”
Care Day is the world’s biggest celebration of people with care experience. The term “Care Experienced” refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care. Care Day has been going since 2016 and originated in Scotland to mark the date the Children & Young People (Scotland) 2014 Act passed. This act contained some very important legislation for Care Experienced people, such as the increase of the age young people can stay in care till 21 and the increase of the age young people can access aftercare support to 25. Now Care Day has evolved into an official occasion to help support and promote people from the Care Experienced community.
Location:
Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT
Dovecot Studios is a fully accessible building with lifts, disabled toilets, and staff on hand to assist. The entrance at the front of the Dovecot building to the right has level access.
Dovecot operates a no dog policy, however, welcomes visitors and their assistance dogs. Please let us know in advance if you are bringing an assistance dog.
Travel and Parking:
We are able to offer some travel support, just make sure you tick the box on teh registration form and someone will be in otuch shortly to arrange this.
The best way to get to the Dovecot from outwith Edinburgh is by train. The venue is a 10 minute walk from Waverly Train Station.
If you live in Edinburgh the following buses will get you to Dovecot:
Lothian Bus routes: 2, 3A, 5, 7, 8, 14, 29, 30, 31, 33, 37, 47, X47, 48, X48, 49
There is two-hour on street parking on Infirmary Street. Most parking in Edinburgh City Centre is free after 6.30pm. The closes public car park is the NCP on Holyrood Road. If you download their app, parking is cheaper.
Please be aware there are no Blue Badge parking spaces on Infirmary Street. There are disabled parking bays located nearby at the west end of Chamber Street by the National Museum of Scotland. Disabled parking bays are marked sky blue on the Edinburgh City Council website.
Contact info:
If you have any questions about this event please email events@whocaresscotland.org.
Get Involved:
We have two opportunities to get involved with that will help make this year’s Carelidh even more memorable than before.
Poetry Competition
We’re looking for poems about “care” from Care Experienced people. We will choose one poem to be read out on the night of The Carelidh. The winning poet will receive a £50 gift voucher. Runners-up will have their poems included in the Spring edition of SpeakOut.
Celebration Station
Nominate a Care Experienced person that you want to celebrate on the night.
They could be a Care Experienced person who has made a difference in your community, or someone who’s overcome a challenge in their own life. It could be a Care Experienced person who’s been a champion for an important cause or been a brilliant fundraiser or volunteer.
If they consent, we’ll share their name and why they’re being celebrated in a visual display at The Carelidh.
Find out how to enter by clicking the button below!
