Category: News

JCS extend support to the local community this Pesach

04 March 2026

Jewish Care Scotland are delighted to be able to offer our Pesach Grant again this year. We want everyone to have the opportunity to celebrate and observe important times in the Jewish calendar. This grant is designed to help anyone struggling to meet the additional costs associated with Pesach.

Applications are now open and will close on Wednesday 25 March to allow sufficient time for payment to be made to successful applicants before the festival.  Applicants should note that any support offered will be dependent on individual circumstances and applicants may be asked to provide supporting documentation.  All queries and applications are confidential and treated with discretion.

To apply, please email us at hello@jcarescot.org.uk or give us a call on 0141 620 1800.

This year, Maureen Solomons, Honorary President of Jewish Care Scotland, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jewish Volunteering Network (JVN), recognising her 40 years of volunteering.

Maureen began volunteering in 1985, joining Jewish Care Scotland (then the Glasgow Jewish Welfare Board) after being recommended by her sister-in-law.
She recalls, “The minute I walked through the door, I knew it was different from anything I’d done before. I just knew, and I never looked back!”

Over four decades, Maureen has contributed in countless ways: performing in community cabaret events, leading volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic, and helping establish ‘Welcome Wednesday’, a drop-in café that continues to bring the community together each week.

Reflecting on receiving the award, Maureen said, “I am honoured to have been nominated for something that I have loved doing and has been so much a part of me for all these years!”

Among her proudest moments is seeing her volunteer team receive the Queen’s Award for Volunteering, a testament to the commitment and impact of the volunteers she has led. She also had the honour of speaking at Glasgow City Chambers for Jewish Care Scotland’s 150th anniversary.

Jewish Care Scotland congratulates Maureen on this well-deserved recognition from JVN, celebrating her remarkable service and the lasting impact she has had on the community.

We were pleased that the Travers family joined us at one of our recent Welcome Wednesday, with their great grandson visiting for the first time. It is not often that we have very young children visiting Jewish Care Scotland, and we hope more families and their young children can join us in the future. We look forward to welcoming them again!

From left to right: Esther-Shira, Mati, Fay, Alec, Daniel. 
Image by Lausch Studio

Applications for our Chanukah grant are now open!

We want everyone to be able to take part in the celebrations, and that’s why we are offering a one-off grant to individuals and households with limited income.

Please get in touch by calling 0141 620 1800 or by emailing hello@jcarescot.org.uk for more information or to apply.
All enquiries and applications are treated with discretion.

At our AGM in September 2025, we launched our next, five-year strategic plan for Jewish Care Scotland.

We have been working for the last year or so on developing this next strategic plan.

Many of our valued stakeholders were involved in gathering feedback, through speaking with us, sharing ideas and telling us what is important to you.  We shared a stakeholder feedback survey, as widely as we possibly could to get people’s views and perceptions of Jewish Care Scotland.  Many volunteers, service users and visitors completed it and we tried to reach members of the Jewish Community who currently don’t engage with us to find out why, and what we could do that might encourage them to engage.  We set up a Strategy subgroup, comprising of staff, volunteers and Board members to analyse the findings alongside looking at demand for our current services.  We are proud to share this new Strategic Plan with you now.

Our vision has been fine-tuned, with a focus on creating opportunities to connect.  Our purpose is a bit clearer, emphasising that the work that we do and the services we provide are designed to enhance and to enrich people’s lives in various way.  Our values remain the same with a focus on collaboration in the coming years.

Through all of our data gathering, informal conversations, staff brainstorming sessions and Board meetings we agreed that our three strategic priorities would remain the same.  Connecting People, Promoting Wellbeing and Maximising Resources.

You can read the Strategic Plan online by clicking this link.  Or you can request a printed copy by calling 0141 620 1800, emailing admin@jcarescot.org.uk or pick one up from our Information Station at Jewish Care Scotland.

Jewish Care Scotland marked a huge milestone with Honorary Vice-President Joan Sellyn.  Jewish Care Scotland Chairman Dr Richard Groden, Honorary President Maureen Solomons, Honorary Vice-President Lesley Roles joined Joan and her grandchildren Marc and Gabrielle at Joan’s home for a surprise tea to mark her upcoming 100^th birthday.

Along with Chief Executive Linda Kemp and Deputy Chief Executive Robyn Friel, the group celebrated Joan’s birthday as well as reminiscing and reflecting on Joan’s impressive contribution to Jewish Care Scotland and the wider Community.

Maureen Solomons remembered how she looked up to Joan as her mentor when she first started volunteering with Jewish Care Scotland in 1986, and described her as the voice of reason.  Maureen, Joan and Lesley remembered an intensive counselling course that they embarked upon together, with Joan helping to organise weekend retreats as part of the learning and always making sure the group had their home comforts while they were away learning.  They reflected on Joan’s motto which was “just do it”, and according to her grandchildren that hasn’t changed!

Joan was presented with flowers, cakes and a certificate from Jewish Care Scotland marking her 100^th birthday in October and told us of her time at Jewish Care Scotland that it was “all good fun”.

Sunday 7 September 2025

Jewish Care Scotland, The Jewish Council of Scotland and The Scottish Jewish Youth Alliance were delighted to collaboratively host a Rosh Hashanah Fayre at the Walton Community Care Centre and Maccabi Glasgow.

The event was an opportunity to spotlight the talents of Jewish makers, artists and small businesses from all across the country.  There were 17 stallholders from across Glasgow, Edinburgh and even Dundee.  The event also saw the launch of a Hannah Frank exhibition, with thanks to the Glasgow Women’s Library, as part Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage Month.  There was live music from Ingrid and Eric, live performances from Marnie, apple juicing with Rob and a visit from Laura and the team at Bunny & Co.  

We were delighted to have the support of ten volunteers who kept the day, and the café, running smoothly welcoming over 200 visitors!

The event was a truly collaborative one, bringing together many different people from the Community in time to celebrate the New Year.  Huge thanks to everyone involved for making the day such a fun Community event.  See you next year!

We are hiring two key roles to join the team and drive forward our upcoming strategic plan from 2025 to 2030.

Check out the job roles here.

We want everyone to enjoy celebrating Rosh Hashanah which is why JCS are offering a Rosh Hashanah grant for anyone struggling to meet additional costs associated with this time.

Applicants may be asked to provide proof of income and expenditure to progress their application.  All enquiries are treated with discretion and respect.  

Applications close at 5pm on Monday 15 September and successful grants will be paid by Friday 19 September 2025.

Our first Bubbly Bingo community fundraising event, which took place at the Walton Community Care Centre on Sunday 22 June was a huge hit.  There was a “full house” on the day with over fifty people attending the afternoon event.