REGISTERED charity Scottish Care is using a ground-breaking gift card initiative to reward its staff across Scotland.
The South Ayrshire based organisation is using 17 of the Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards to show appreciation to its 44 strong team, including in Glasgow, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Fife, and Argyll and Bute.
Scottish Care is a charitable membership organisation and the representative body for independent social care services in Scotland, representing over 350 organisations delivering residential, nursing and day care, plus care at home and housing support services. Staff will each receive a £50 Scotland Loves Local Gift Card of their choice.
Laura Bennie, office manager and executive PA for Scottish Care said:
“The care sector has been hugely impacted during the pandemic and our team are the ones who are supporting organisations and staff delivering front line care. Collectively, as an organisation, we felt that we wanted to acknowledge the additional support offered by our team, and say thank you for all that they do.
“We’d heard about the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card and thought it sounded ideal as a way to say thank you. As a charity, we don’t have a lot of money for activities like this, but were able to fund £50 gift cards for staff as a small token of our appreciation. Our team is in the sector because they are passionate about care, but we feel it’s important that their efforts are noticed and appreciated.
“Our team is spread out right across Scotland from the north, right down to the Borders. We were able to pick a Scotland Loves Local Gift Card that is local for each staff member. In the lead up to Christmas, we’re sure the gift cards will be appreciated and a thank you gift that is actually used.
“Staff wellbeing is a huge consideration for organisations now. The pandemic was so full on, that it is only now that organisations across Scotland, the UK and the rest of the world, are able to take the time to reflect on the impact that the pandemic has had on staff wellbeing.
“The good thing about choosing the Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards is that it can be used in lots of different businesses. Staff can pay for their shopping, go for a coffee and cake, or for a meal in a restaurant. They could also use the gift card to take some time for themselves and support their wellbeing, such as having an acupuncture or hot yoga session. There’s that choice to spend it however they want.
“Community is important to us as an organisation and we value the whole circle of support that is intrinsic with the Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards. Using the Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards for our staff rewards is a way that we can show our support for communities across Scotland.”
The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card initiative was introduced in 2021 as a means to direct spend to local communities, and power economic recovery, delivered by Scotland’s Town Partnership (STP) and Perth based fintech Miconex. Over 28 Scottish regions have already introduced their own gift card.
In August, Glasgow City Council distributed 85,000 Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Cards to low income families in the city to boost the economy and help families cope with the rising cost of living.
STP chief officer Phil Prentice said: “A benefit of the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card initiative is that it allows organisations with staff who are spread out across Scotland to access local rewards for their teams, whilst also playing their part in driving post-pandemic recovery of local economies. It is fantastic to see Scottish Care showing its care for the community by choosing the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card.”
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Multi-store gift cards are rising in popularity, to 38% of monthly gift card purchases in 2021. In August 2022 research with employees, we found that over 70% of employees favour a multi-store gift card like a Scotland Loves Local Gift Card as a workplace reward. Using Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards enables organisations to cater for varied needs and interests of staff, and give their staff ultimate choice in how they spend their card.”
