Introducing Care to Connect: Supporting Unpaid Carers across Lochaber

We are delighted to introduce Care to Connect, a new two-year initiative dedicated to supporting unpaid adult carers aged 25 and over throughout the Lochaber area. Rooted in the strength and spirit of the local community, this project aims to build meaningful connections and provide accessible support where it’s needed most.

Unpaid carers are a vital part of our communities, offering compassionate care and essential support to partners, family members, friends or neighbours who have an illness, disability, mental health condition, drug or alcohol use or frailty. Are you an unpaid carer? Unpaid carers | NHS Highland. Care to Connect aims to provide flexible, community-based services promoting opportunities for connection, collaboration, training and support to enhance unpaid carers’ health and wellbeing.

As part of Care to Connect, we have established welcoming spaces at An Drochaid where carers can drop in, engage in conversation, share their experiences, and build meaningful connections with others in similar caring roles. Our team will travel across Lochaber to meet carers in their homes, community venues, and at local events, bringing support directly to them.  By working alongside NHS Highland, Highland Hospice, and Third Sector partners, we aim to strengthen the support network available to carers in Lochaber.

We are inviting volunteers to get involved through our Helping Hands initiative, delivered in partnership with Highland Hospice. Whether it’s offering time, resources, or simply helping spread the word, your support can make a meaningful difference to unpaid carers and those they care for.

This project is funded by NHS Highland, Highland Hospice, Age Scotland, HTSI with support from local businesses. Together with our community, we want to ensure our unpaid carers feel valued, supported, and connected.

We are thrilled to welcome our new Care to Connect Co-ordinator, Mark Ewen. Mark brings a wealth of experience in community engagement and a deep commitment to supporting unpaid carers. His role will be central to developing our outreach, coordinating drop-in sessions, and ensuring carers across Lochaber feel connected and valued. Mark is passionate about creating spaces where carers can share their stories, access resources, and build supportive networks. We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to the positive impact he will bring to the project.

If you’re an unpaid carer, a community organisation, or simply interested in learning more, we’d love to hear from you. For more information, visit our dedicated website Care to Connect Lochaber, download our leaflet Resources — Care to Connect Lochaber or contact our new Project Co-Ordinator on 07539872475 or by email caretoconnect@valochaber.org

Together, we can build a stronger, more connected Lochaber.