Lord David Puttnam Launches Eric Liddell Centre Befriending Appeal

Lord David Puttnam, Director of the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire, launched a fundraising appeal for a local dementia care charity. Lord Puttnam lent his support to the appeal to raise funds for the Eric Liddell Centre and its carer befriending project.

The Befriending programme pairs trained volunteers with unpaid carers in order to provide a social outlet, emotional support in the face of a demanding often socially isolating role and a break from caring responsibilities.

Lord Puttnam, who is also a Patron of the Eric Liddell Centre, a care charity and community hub providing services throughout the City of Edinburgh, said:

“The notion of a fundraising campaign that helps the Eric Liddell Centre achieve its aims, one of those aims being the advancement of an inclusive view of the elderly, an inclusive view of people with dementia has got to be an incredibly worthwhile aim.”

In addition to Lord Puttnam, Sue Liddell Caton, the niece of Olympic runner and gold medallist, Eric Liddell, returned to Edinburgh to lend support to the charity set up in her late uncle’s name.

Chief Executive of the Eric Liddell Centre, John MacMillan, said: “We are proud to receive the support of Lord Puttnam and Eric Liddell’s family, as we launch the Centres 2018 Befriending Appeal. We very much welcome their continued support for the work of the Eric Liddell Centre and hope that the wider community of Edinburgh will join us in making a difference to the lives and circumstances of carers throughout the city.”

Donations can be made here or by texting ‘ERIC15 £10’ to make a £10 donation. More information on the Befriending Project can be found on this section of the website.