Venue Description

We are a unique, award-winning charity, tackling loneliness for older adults through animal companionship and friendship. As part of our charitable offering, we provide community space venues in Shawlands, Troon and Alloa where people are welcome to come in for a free hot drink and a biscuit, and enjoy the company of our companionship dogs, staff and volunteers. At our venues, we offer group activities and relaxing therapy treatments to over 60s, for free, and their beloved canine companions are welcome too.

Accessibility

This venue has a step to access the main door entry from street level however, we have a portable ramp, stored inside the venue, to facilitate wheelchair access. There is no bell or way to alert the team inside from the pavement so, if the ramp is required, please phone ahead where possible. If you are visiting with someone who can enter the building, there is a bell inside the main door to alert a member of our team that assistance is required. The venue has pull door access to enter. Behind the door there is a bell with a two-way communication facility, connecting you with our team upstairs on the first floor. The main door is a double door, both doors can be opened to allow easier access for large wheelchairs and mobility aids, as required. Entering the premises brings you into the ground floor foyer area, where we host our individual therapies for over 60s in a designated room. There is a small seating area on this level where we can serve hot drinks and biscuits to anyone who can’t manage any stairs. There is a stairlift to the first floor, however due to the age and layout of the venue you are required to walk up two steps to reach the first stairlift. There are two stairlifts to reach the first floor and a landing must be crossed to reach the second stairlift, this landing is large and completely flat, so wheelchairs and mobility aids can be used to aid transfer as required. Both stairlifts can be operated via hand controls by the user or via remote controls operated by our team members. If you would like the team to operate or assist with the stairlifts, please ring the bell after entering the venue. Our tea and chat service operates on the first floor of the venue, and we have a large room dedicated to this service. This room is accessed via a pull door, and a double door can be opened to facilitate large wheelchair or mobility aid access, as required. Our tables in this area are a standard height and we are able to move chairs, as required, to facilitate wheelchair users. There is plenty of space in this room for wheelchair and mobility aid users to safely move around. At the end of the main room on the first floor, there is a small shop area with wide and clear pathways throughout. We normally have at least one team dog who is allowed to free roam the premises and often have multiple visiting dogs in the premises too. Any visiting dogs should be kept on a short lead. We occasionally have background music playing in the venue, however we can change the volume or turn music off as required. Our toilet facilities at this venue are not accessible to all. We do not have any toilets on ground floor level. For those able to ascend the stairs or use the stairlifts, our toilet cubicle on the first floor is small and narrow, however it is based in a larger, private lavatory facility so it may be accessible to wheelchair and large mobility aid users. Our group activity space is on a mezzanine level, above the second floor of this venue. These levels are not accessible to all as they are up multiple flights of stairs. Due to the age and layout of the building it is not possible to install stairlift access to these areas. The second floor also has multiple toilet cubicles.

Awards List

Awarded Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) - The King’s Birthday Honours June 2023 Winner of: Special Recognition Award at The People’s Pet Awards September 2022 Winner of: Pride of Scotland Community Hero Award (TSB Community Hero) June 2022 Winner of: Celebrating Communities at The Scottish Charity Awards June 2019 Winner of: Amazing Contribution to Community category at the Amazing Women Awards March 2019 Winner of: International Fund for Animal Welfare’s ‘Community Award’ October 2016 Winner of: Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award September 2015

Toilets

Our toilet facilities at this venue are not accessible to all. We do not have any toilets on ground floor level. For those able to ascend the stairs or use the stairlifts, our toilet cubicle on the first floor is small and narrow, however it is based in a larger, private lavatory facility so it may be accessible to wheelchair and large mobility aid users.

Staff

Information about the staff has not been added for this venue.

Assistance dog facilities

Other assistance dog facilities

We always have water available for visiting dogs. There is a grassy area at the top of the street, approximately 0.1 miles from the venue, where dogs can be taken to toilet.