Quarriers
Encyclopedia
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
social care charity based in Quarrier's Village
Quarrier's Village
Quarrier's Village is a small settlement in the civil parish of Kilmacolm in Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west Central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
. It provides care and support for people with a disability, children and families, young people, young homeless people, people with epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
and carers. In February 2008 Quarriers was the largest non-church social care charity in Scotland.
The charity was founded in the late 19th Century by William Quarrier
William Quarrier
William Quarrier was a shoe retailer and philanthropist from Glasgow, Scotland. He was founder of the Orphan Homes of Scotland in Renfrewshire, which later evolved into the social care charity Quarriers.-Life:...
, a shoe retailer from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. In the 1890s he built the Orphan Homes of Scotland in Bridge of Weir
Bridge of Weir
Bridge of Weir is a village in within the Renfrewshire council area and wider historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, which were home to up to 1500 children at a time.
Changes in UK childcare practice and legislation in the 1970s and 80s led to a modernisation process, through which the organisation developed the services it delivers today and became known as Quarriers.
Quarriers’ work covers the whole of Scotland and the organisation is also involved in several international projects.
History
The charity was founded in the late 19th Century by William QuarrierWilliam Quarrier
William Quarrier was a shoe retailer and philanthropist from Glasgow, Scotland. He was founder of the Orphan Homes of Scotland in Renfrewshire, which later evolved into the social care charity Quarriers.-Life:...
, a shoe retailer from Glasgow. Quarrier began looking after homeless children in the 1870s, opening a night refuge for homeless children in Renfrew Street, Glasgow in 1871.
He then expanded his operations, using charitable donations to buy a piece of land near Bridge of Weir, on which the Orphan Homes of Scotland
Quarrier's Village
Quarrier's Village is a small settlement in the civil parish of Kilmacolm in Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west Central Lowlands of Scotland...
were built. By the 1890s this included 34 cottages, a school, a church and a fire station – a complete working village that became known, and is still known, as Quarrier's Village.
More than 800 children at a time lived at Quarrier's Village during the 1890s and as the charity expanded, up to 1500 children were accommodated at a time. In total more than 30,000 children have been cared for at Quarrier's Village.
From 1870 to 1936, the Orphan Homes of Scotland participated in a relocation programme that sent more than 7,000 young people to new homes in Ontario, Canada where they were employed, in the main, as farm labourers.
Changes in UK childcare practice and legislation in the 1970s and 80s led to fewer children being looked after at the Orphan Homes of Scotland. The organisation was renamed Quarriers and began a modernisation process through which it developed the services it delivers today.
Current operations
Quarriers is still based at Quarrier's VillageQuarrier's Village
Quarrier's Village is a small settlement in the civil parish of Kilmacolm in Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west Central Lowlands of Scotland...
in the civil parish of Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
, Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
. Its services now cover the whole of Scotland.
In February 2008 Quarriers was the largest non-church social care charity in Scotland, as measured by annual income.
The charity provides care and support services for:
- Adults and children with a disability – through respite care, supporting people to live independently, support for people with learning difficulties and work placements.
- Children and families – through its family centres that provide information and support, drop-in services, health promotion and nursery and childcare facilities.
- Young people – through its residential school in Ardrossan, Ayrshire and other projects to help children re-integrate into mainstream schools.
- Young homeless people – through supported accommodation and outreach services.
- People with epilepsy – through its own National Epilepsy Assessment Centre and Epilepsy Fieldwork service. In 2008 the National Epilepsy Assessment Centre was awarded the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Committed to Excellence award.
- Carers – through Quarriers Carers Centres that offer information and advice, emotional support, support groups and help with financial issues.
The charity is also involved in several international projects, including the Taganka Children’s Fund in Russia and Saathi, an organisation supporting women and children across Nepal.
In 2004, Quarriers won both 'Fundraiser of the Year' and the Communications Award from the Institute of Fundraising Scotland.