Cathedral lights up for Care Experienced day

Orkney's iconic St Magnus Cathedral will shine in gold, pink and blue on Friday (30 April) as part of the first International Care Experienced Day of Remembrance, a day aimed at marking the contribution and experience of looked after people in communities around the world.

The inaugural commemorative day is being coordinated by Who Cares? Scotland, as part of Care Experienced History Month, with Care Experienced people across the world collating a social media campaign. The campaign will feature a symbol created by Care Experienced people to commemorate their peers throughout global history.

The lights on the Cathedral will mirror the colour scheme of the campaign’s image – a golden bridge surrounded by pink flowers and blue sky, representing a bridge from the past to present; a bridge to the people, a bridge to the future and bridging the divide in understanding of the history of Care Experienced people.

James Stockan, Leader of Orkney Islands Council and Chair of the Orkney Partnership said: “As a Council and as Community Planning partners we are responsible for providing that lifeline care service for young people and vulnerable adults who for whatever reason cannot be cared for, whether short or long term, by blood relatives. We absolutely cannot do this without the support of our wider community.

"We're therefore lending support to this day, to help highlight the importance of these services and of embracing and listening to the experiences of our care experienced people, past and present, to ensure their care gives them the best possible footing to face their future with hope, confidence and ambition - as so many others have done before them.

"We cannot of course go without thanking our very special team of foster carers in Orkney who help us do just that.

“I'd remind the Orkney public that there is a very real need for foster services in all corners of the UK, including right here in Orkney - and anyone who wants to find out more can speak to the Council’s Children and Families team."

Louise Hunter, CEO of Who Cares? Scotland, said: "History is critical for our understanding of the present day. Through history, we can learn how past societies, systems, governments, ideologies, cultures and technologies were built, how they operated, and how they have changed. The past teaches us about the present, and history gives us the tools to analyse, explain and reconstruct the diversity of past human experience, so that we comprehend how these experiences have shaped the world we know and experience today.

“Care Experienced people have been present in communities and cultures across the world for centuries. Throughout history, there are many Care Experienced people who have made an impact on societies in all corners of the globe. We want to honour their legacy."

You can follow the campaign on social media using the hashtags #CareExperiencedHistoryMonth and #CEHM2021.

Find out more about Who Cares? Scotland at www.whocaresscotland.org .

Find out more about fostering on the Orkney Islands Council website.