You may not be aware that Saturday the 11th of February 2017 is actually National “Make a Friend Day”. Many of you reading this now probably already have “many” friends but for most of our Citizen Partners, unfortunately this is not the case.  In fact, some do not even have any family.  The only people that may be present in […]

It is usually around this point in January that I begin to struggle with my New Year’s resolutions.  This year, for me, it has been about trying to eat less sugar.  January is now the month when many people commit to giving up alcohol as part of Dry for January.  All this comes as we start to take account of […]

….Looking forward to it? Making plans? Getting together with friends and family?…. For many of the vulnerable people we work with the festive season can be difficult – daunting, confusing, lonely – a struggle on many levels. If you have no close family or friends, are struggling to make ends meet, are unhappy where you live, or simply don’t understand […]

David has been a short-term advocate for four years now and has been matched with over 10 people in that time. That may not sound very many for four years but David’s partnerships have lasted anywhere between one month and eight months! David has also helped people in a variety of different situations such as family conflicts, care needs being assessed, benefit assessments, […]

At last night’s AGM, we heard from Tom Kohler, Executive Director at Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy in the United States. Tom has been working in the field of Citizen Advocacy for 40 years. Tom started this work in response to the treatment of disabled people by state institutions in Georgia in the 1970s. By creating meaningful connections with local people, he […]

Already in my sixth month of employment here at Dunfermline Advocacy and what can I say……it’s been the quickest six months of my life.  I feel I have settled in extremely well with the team, especially Rachel my Line Manager who has been extremely helpful and patient while I settle in and continue to learn about the ins and outs […]

It was the summer of 2015 and I had just moved back home after being at University for 4 years. I had a part-time job but was looking to do some volunteering. I had previously volunteered with young people disabled adults and so was looking for something similar. A quick search on the ‘Volunteer Scotland’ website brought up Dunfermline Advocacy […]

2016 is the Year of Listening and Breathing Space is presenting us all with a pledge to listen. This got me thinking about how people often assume that the most effective communication happens through the spoken word…..that words tell us everything we need to know. However, you might be surprised to discover that only 7% of communication comes through words. […]

Since the 1st of January my twitter feed has had a steady stream of tweets about #Resolutions. Many seem to be the usual ones about healthy living and good habits. But this year I have noticed more from charities and 3rd sector organisations, including our own! A bit of (self-indulgent?) naval gazing is allowed at the start of the year, […]

“What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets, inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?” These are the words of Plato, the Ancient Greek philosopher. You’d be forgiven, however, for thinking that they had been pulled from […]