HRH The Princess Royal to meet carers celebrating 10th Anniversary of North Argyll Carers Centre

HRH The Princess Royal, President of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, will meet carers from North Argyll on 3 July to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Princess Royal Trust North Argyll Carers' Centre.

Her Royal Highness will meet about 100 carers to celebrate the founding of the Carers' Centre in 1998. Her Royal Highness last visited carers from North Argyll in January 2001, to open the current centre in Albany Street, Oban.

After meeting all the carers, Her Royal Highness will speak about the work of the carers' centre and sign an illustrated book about the development of the work of the centre in the past ten years.

Ann Gibb, who cares for her husband who has ME, was the first carer to register with the carers' centre when it opened in 1998. Ann says: 'The carers' centre is always my first port of call when I need support. They are always welcoming and there for myself and other carers in Oban. It gives me reassurance just knowing that Her Royal Highness is coming to the celebrations as I enjoyed Her visit so much last time.'

Another carer who will meet The Princess Royal is John Cottman, who cares for his wife with Parkinson's disease. He says: 'The ethos of the centre and the accepting attitude of the staff and other carers changed my wife’s perception of her condition in a positive way. My life would have been the poorer but for the carers' centre - it has helped me to develop a network of friends which has greatly enhanced my quality of life.'

The Princess Royal Trust North Argyll carers' centre is managed by Quarriers, a Scottish based charity providing practical support and care. Quarriers aims to give every individual the support which best suits their needs and likes in a warm, caring and supportive atmosphere, whatever their stage in life.

A carer is someone who looks after a relative or friend who cannot manage without that support due to frailty, illness, addiction or disability. A carer is unpaid.

Ruth Moody, manager of The Princess Royal Trust North Argyll carers' centre, says: 'I love my job at the carers' centre, believing it to be of immense help practically and emotionally to carers in North Argyll. I have a commitment to ensuring the centre’s future and would like to develop a satellite centre on Mull and expand our services in Oban.'

Florence Burke, Director in Scotland of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, says: "We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the North Argyll carers’ centre to assist staff there to achieve their ambition to reach more carers. The Trust’s network of carers' centres covers Scotland from Orkney to the Borders and we see at first hand their importance as a resource, not only supporting carers but in maintaining rural and island communities."

The North Argyll Carers' Centre supports carers of all ages all over North Argyll, no matter what their circumstances and is based at Albany Street in Oban. The centre can be contacted on 01 631 564 422 or by email at nargyll@carers.net