Joiner, keysafes, handrails, grabrails, electrician, volunteer, DIY: Help for over 60s & disabled in Edinburgh

No job is too small! This charity offers fully qualified tradespeople and volunteers to help over 60s and vulnerable people across Edinburgh get those little jobs done in their homes.

Practical help and DIY skills are always needed around the house for those small but essential jobs that keep a home in good repair.

But, you wouldn’t want to engage an electrician to change a lightbulb, call a carpenter to put up a curtain rail or phone a plumber to fix a new loo seat – and the chances are you’d struggle to find one willing to do it anyway.

And that’s where Care and Repair Edinburgh comes in. The charity, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, has helped thousands of people across the city over the decades and last year alone supported 6000 plus over 60s and vulnerable people across the city, including fitting over 1200 key safes.

It employs its own joiner, electricians, engineer and handyperson to carry out work and has a bank of over 20 volunteers to call upon to help out with other less skilled jobs around the home.

We help people with repairs and other things around the house to keep them as safe and secure as possible in their own home. It gives them and their families peace of mind too.

Jordan Lumsden, volunteer co-ordinator

What type of jobs do Care and Repair carry out?

It’s often the kind of jobs a handyperson or DIY enthusiast would take in their stride, or a family member or friend could lend a hand with if they were around. It can also be a job for a fully qualified tradesperson like a joiner or electrician

The list includes:

- Fitting Key safes – often for people discharged from hospital with temporary mobility issues. A key safe means family members and medical or care staff can safely let themselves in and out of the home

- Handyperson jobs– whether it’s screwing down a carpet gripper, turning a mattress or changing a lightbulb

- Joinery – jobs such as putting up curtain poles, repairing window frames, re-roping a sash window or a pulley

- Rails and ramps – fitting handrails, grabrails and ramps or putting up other mobility aids in the home

- Electrical jobs – cracked plugs, exposed wiring, fitting cooker switches, changing socket covers or light switches, changing halogen lights for LED lights

- Security – fitting video door bells or changing locks

Volunteers help people with a host of household jobs including changing lightbulbs, connecting TVs or resetting WiFi connections after outages, setting up video doorbells and other digital home technology. Volunteers can assist with accessing hard-to-reach places like lofts or cellars or high cupboards for retrieving the Christmas decorations.

Volunteers can also help with turning a mattress or changing over summer and winter curtains, they don’t do domestic chores such as shopping, cleaning or gardening, however, Care and Repair Edinburgh can refer clients to other organisations for these services and signpost people to a list of trusted traders for larger jobs.

Who is eligible?

Anyone over 60 or who is vulnerable (ie living with a disability), whether they are a council tenant, private renter, live in sheltered accommodation or own their own home, can call on Care and Repair for any of its services. The scheme covers the Edinburgh City postcode area.

Do I pay?

Any jobs done by volunteers, adaptations advice and signposting to other traders are all free at the point of use but clients are welcome to make a donation. Other services such as fitting key safes, handrails and ramps, small repairs or electrical jobs are chargeable however, costs are lower than commercial rates and there is hardship funding to help those struggling or in receipt of certain means tested benefits.

Volunteers needed

Doctors, students and former tradespeople are among the couple of dozen regular volunteers who support the call for help from people around the city.

We have a whole spectrum of people from all corners of Edinburgh. We are always looking for more volunteers – they don’t have to have any particular skills, they just need a bit of time and some common sense and be able to do simple jobs around the house.

Susan Irwin, fundraiser with Care and Repair Edinburgh

Susan said the organisation relied totally on grants, fundraising and donations to offer this vital service to the thousands every year who need it and to ensure the volunteer service remains free to users. There are a number of fundraising activities and events planned for the 40th anniversary in 2025.

Need a job doing in your home?

You can call the team on 0131 337 1111 to discuss what you need doing and find out more, or you can visit the website here for more information or to book a service.