Leader of Edinburgh City Council, Ewan Aitken is to join Link in marking the 25th anniversary of its housing support services on Monday.
In 1981, Link began managing supported accommodation projects in partnership with voluntary and statutory organisations to allow people who needed support to live and develop in the wider community. It catered for three main types of need - young people, people with mental health problems and people with learning disabilities.
As the provision of housing support has evolved over the last 25 years, Link has helped hundreds of people across the central belt to live as independently as possible, with a focus on supporting them to make their own decisions about the lives they wish to lead.
In 2001, Link established a new subsidiary called LinkLiving, dedicated to running its housing support activities. Today, LinkLiving's 156 staff provide services in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Falkirk and Fife, giving almost 3,000 hours a week of practical support, advice and care to 450 vulnerable people. Link also continues to lease properties to a wide range of agencies that offer support.
Link will mark the milestone with a celebration at Edinburgh's Café Camino, with Mr Aitken attending as principal speaker. Some of those who receive support from LinkLiving today will also be speaking about their experiences.
Craig Sanderson, Chief Executive of Link, said: "Having been there at the start of this process, which began with an approach from someone seeking a supported flat for her two sons to avoid their having to live in a hospital, it has been very exciting to have helped develop what has become a significant service.
"With support from our many partners, I'm sure that LinkLiving will continue to grow and adapt to achieve higher standards and to meet increasing demands and rising expectations."
Page last updated on Wednesday, 23 July 2008
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