Details of Care Day 2020 in Highland announced

Care Day - the annual international celebration of the Care Experienced community takes place on Friday 21 February and in Highland a special event is planned to take place in Eden Court to celebrate and champion young people with care experience.

Care Day aims to:

• Celebrate: Shift public attitudes on Care Experienced people’s lives.
• Connect: Bring together the Care Experienced community with their allies and corporate parents to talk about how we can ensure Care Experienced people get the love, rights and relationships they deserve.
• Communicate: Motivate the Care Experienced community, their allies and corporate parents to share their celebrations, show their commitments and ignite discussion.

The theme of this year’s event is Reimagining - “Whatever is given / Can always be reimagined” – Seamus Heaney

Chair of The Highland Council’s Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, Councillor Linda Munro said: “This Care Day we want to make sure our care experienced children and young people feel celebrated.  This year’s theme of reimagining is clever as it can be interpreted by young people in different ways, to reflect elements in their lives such as their rights, relationships or something completely different. It will certainly stimulate the young people to get creative and gives everyone who supports them the opportunity to take time to re-imagine the future for Care Experienced people in Highland and across Scotland.”

In Highland the Care Day celebration on Friday 21 February will take place at Eden Court from 6pm onwards.

The Highland Council’s Health and Social Care Executive Chief Officer Lesley Weber who is a member of the Corporate Parenting Board said: “After some consultation with young people, it was clear that they want to attend more events that are purely about being together and having fun. We heard that request, loud and clear, and have planned a disco evening for children and young people with care experience, their corporate parents, carers and families to come together on the 21st to celebrate Care Day and simply have fun.

“We hope our Care Day Party will provide an opportunity for corporate parents and young people to connect and build relationships.”

During the event Highland Champs Leadership Group will deliver their final 'asks' for improvements to Highland's care system to the corporate parents in attendance. This work has been carried out over the past 14 months and the young people involved hope to work closely with their corporate parents to progress these requests for change.

To support Care Day 2020 in Highland on social media the organisers will be posting a 'Countdown to Care Day' from Monday onwards using #CareDay20 and #reimagining.  They are encouraging people to get involved by posting details of what they’re #reimagining – selfies are encouraged. Buildings across Inverness will be bathed in red light to show their support for Care Day and to raise awareness of care experience in Highland. You might even spot a special Care Experience Flag flying high in Inverness too!