BUSINESS FORUM

Local travel expert tops the chart

A local travel agent has reached number one in a national survey reviewing customers’ experiences with travel companies during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The survey initiated by MoneySavingExpert.com, the finance and consumer affairs site founded by Martin Lewis, was completed by over 27,000 people and names Eva Adams as the travel business that comes out on top.

The Wendover based travel expert runs her corporate and leisure travel agency with independent travel company Travel Counsellors, which supports experienced travel professionals to run their own travel business from home or shared offices.

Survey respondents were asked for their rating, feedback and experiences of dealing with companies like Travel Counsellors, with firms ranked by subtracting the percentage of poor experiences from those who had great experiences with the company. From 1-11 May, the survey asked travellers to rate the support travel companies are providing to customers with travel plans affected by COVID-19.

Adams said, “The last few weeks have been a worrying time for many people, but I have remained focussed on supporting my customers to navigate this period in the best ways possible – whether that’s helping them to get home as borders closed across the globe, or rearranging their plans for a time when we have the chance to travel again.

Adams, who is one of the travel professionals in her local area who run their business with Travel Counsellors, continues, “Placing number one in the MoneySavingExpert survey is thanks to the support of my customers in Buckinghamshire and across the UK, many of whom have said they are so pleased to be able to rely on someone who can take care of all their travel plans right now, and in the future.

“Whilst there may still be some uncertainty surrounding travel across the globe, I’ve seen an increase in bookings and enquiries for 2021, as well as staycations in the UK for later in the year. My customers are telling me they’re craving something to look forward to, and I’m delighted to be able to provide a highly personal travel service for them. Running my business from home means I can always be there for them whenever they need me, including evenings and weekends.”

The national survey ranking follows Travel Counsellors being named as winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the third time in the company’s history last month. With all winners personally approved by Her Majesty The Queen, the prestigious accolade recognises excellence in British business.

Visiting Carers Can Help Women Returning To Work

As the country slowly moves towards easing lockdown measures and more people return to work, the pressure on women who have been bearing the brunt of looking after relatives or elderly neighbours during this crisis, is set to increase. During the Coronavirus lockdown it has been widely publicised that women are taking on a large proportion of the care in their households, maybe they’ve been furloughed in their jobs, or they are juggling working from home with home schooling children, and ensuring elderly family members are not lonely and have enough supplies to stay safe and well.

The pressures facing women are set to increase and Trudi Scrivener, founder of Ashridge Home Care, and a working mum herself, is urging women not to be afraid to ask for help. Ashridge Home Care, is a caring company that matches qualified live-in and visiting carers with families. Trudi is passionate about ‘care’ in all its forms and reports that her company has seen an increase in calls from women who are struggling to cope and simply need a helping hand.

“Everyone has clearly had to adapt during these unprecedented times, but in my experience women take on the majority of care in families. Our visiting carer team is busier than ever as their work makes such an impact upon elderly people who are self-isolating at home,” says Trudi. “Knowing that their carer is visiting them on a certain day gives them something to look forward to. They often save up jobs that they are struggling with around the house and garden for the carers to help with and our visiting carers are reporting that clients they’ve been visiting for months are happier than ever to see them, as they are simply too scared to go out at the moment,” she continued. There is now such an emphasis on the dangers of loneliness in the over 70’s age group that a visiting carer can be a lifeline to the external world.

At Ashridge Home Care important measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of clients during Coronavirus lockdown. The same carer visits the client each time so families know there aren’t lots of different people coming and going. All visiting carers have undergone thorough hygiene training online and they have been issued with appropriate PPE so they can continue to give close contact personal care like help with bathing and dressing. Apart from when giving personal care, carers remain at a socially distanced 2 metres during visits.

Visiting carers visit clients for a minimum of two hours. This allows the carer to establish a relationship with clients and not be rushed. They can help with chores around the house, with pet care and garden maintenance, as well as help with activities which require external visits to supermarkets or doctors to collect prescriptions. Visiting carers can provide personal care such as help with showering and washing, each situation is unique. They provide companionship as well as practical support.

To find out more about Ashridge Home Care, please visit www.ashridgehomecare.co.uk or for an informal chat about how a visiting carer might benefit someone in your family, please telephone 01494 917344.