Caring Weekly January 25

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Intervention by Church should be wake-up call

CAMPAIGNERS say a hardhitting intervention by an Archbishops’ Commission into the crisis in social care should be a wake-up call to the Government.

In a new report, the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care has criticised the current state of social care, identifying ‘care deserts’ and describing care staff as ‘feeling overstretched and undervalued.’

And it says that despite “any number” of reports over the past 25 years there has been “little meaningful change”.

The report says: “The architects of England’s welfare state in the 1940s could not have imagined that eight decades later so many people would be struggling to get essential care and support…”

The Independent Care Group welcomed the report but said the church’s intervention was a terrible indictment of the Government’s current handling of social care.

Chair Mike Padgham added: “It is a sorry state of affairs when the Church feels the need to intervene in the state of care.

“But this welcome contribution from the Archbishops’ Commission must be a wake-up call to the Government on the crisis in social care.

“We particularly welcome the report’s call for a universal entitlement to care – regardless of wealth and income and also its call for a national tariff of

care charges – things we have been campaigning for now for decades.

The report describes the current care system as “complex, confusing, and difficult to navigate” and calls for “a fundamental and comprehensive redesign of care and support.”

“Staff shortages have worsened, with ‘care deserts’ in parts of the country. For people with health as well as care needs, social care and the NHS are poorly coordinated and work as separate systems,” it adds.

It calls for a “long-term plan for the recruitment and retention of paid carers as well as the redesign of roles. Their skill and contribution to people’s lives must be valued and given recognition so that social care is regarded as a rewarding career.”

The report says Japan and Germany have seen ‘far reaching’ reforms; and Scotland and Wales are both recommending a ‘National Care Service’ to put care and support on an equal footing with the NHS.

The Commission, launched by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, calls for a National Care Covenant which sets out the roles and responsibilities of government, communities, families and individuals

It suggests three actions: rethinking attitudes to care and support; rebalancing roles and responsibilities; and redesigning the social care system.

A roaring return home for Veronica

IT’S NOT unusual to return from holiday and find an unexpected visitor, but Veronica Allan had the surprise of her life when she came home and found a dragon had moved in.

Returning to her birthplace of Limekilns, Fife, Veronica discovered the eight-foot dragon statue in the back garden of an old cottage, where it was installed as an art project in 2018.

She said: “It was quite the surprise, but I think it’s a fantastic addition to the village. My friends and I would have loved it when we were wains.”

The 88-year old now lives at Roselea

House Care Home, where she says the residents have a lot less bite. In fact, she took two of her friends from the home, Janice and Bert, on her tour around memory lane.

Ruth Goodman, manager of Roselea House, said: “We had a fantastic day in Limekilns, it was wonderful to hear Veronica’s stories about her childhood and we all returned home with a smile on our face.”

After taking a look at Fife’s resident dragon, they headed to local pub The Ship Inn for tea, cake and other treats –the perfect end to a day exploring.

Ninety-nine-year-old Joyce Ward is continuing to tick-off wishes from her ‘Turning 100 Bucket List’ with a visit to a chocolate factory. Joyce, who is a wheelchair-user and lives at Colten Care’s dedicated dementia home St Catherines View in Winchester, will celebrate her 100th birthday in May. To celebrate the milestone, she was helped to compile a list of 10 things she wants to do before her big birthday, including horse riding and a drive in a fast car. In December Joyce realised her wish to enjoy horse riding again with a trip in the specially adapted carriage at Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled in Medstead. And this month she saw and experienced chocolate-making when she visited Chocolate Craft based in Old Alresford.

Flavia progresses from housekeeper to care manager

IT was the hours that first attracted Flavia Hansell to the job of housekeeper at Amberley Hall Care Home back in 2010.

“I was a single mum so the hours were ideal,” said Flavia, who joined in May 2010 as a housekeeper before Athena Care Homes took over the site.

She would work from 8am to midday weekdays, sometimes taking on longer shifts at weekends when she had childcare covered.

Since then Flavia has progressed through the company and now runs the residential community at the Kings Lynn home.

She added: “It was brought to my manager’s attention that I really enjoyed talking to the residents when I was cleaning in the rooms, and I really did.

“I said I wanted to do more so I was encouraged to apply to become a carer, something I never would have thought of previously.”

Flavia was given induction training and later studied for her NVQ Level 2 in adult health and social care while working with Athena.

She has also completed leadership courses, end-of-life training and the CHAPS scheme.

With the support of her colleagues and managers at Athena, Flavia has passed her NVQ Levels 3 and 5 in more recent years .

During this time she became team leader then community lead before going on to work as a regional trainer for Athena, travelling across East Anglia to work with staff at all five of its residential and nursing homes.

When the pandemic hit, travel was restricted and she returned to base at Amberley Hall, where there was a residential care manager vacancy.

Flavia said: “To have been approached by different managers and encouraged to take the next step has always felt so rewarding, it shows the management recognise the work we do.

“I am happy here, it feels like a family. The company has really invested in me and my development throughout my career in care.”

Group operations director Katherine Foley added: “We are proud to be able to support our colleagues as they progress in their careers and offer ongoing training and support to enable them to do this.

“At Athena our motto is ‘Our family caring for yours’ and while that applies to each and every one of our residents, it also applies to our team members.”

Conference aims to attract hundreds of pupils into care

HALLMARK Foundation and Working Options in Education are hosting a free national care conference for school pupils aged between 14 and 19, to encourage the next generation of health professionals into the care sector.

Who Cares? Sponsored by Regent Group, Sahara Care and Advinia Care will be attended by 300 delegates and live streamed to at least 30 schools.

It will take place on March 7 from 10am to 3pm at Royal College of GPs, 30 Euston Square, London.

Anita Goyal MBE, trustee of the Hallmark Foundation, said: “We are delighted to host the first national conference for school and college students on working in care.

“We want to raise awareness of the variety of roles for young people to build a career in the care sector.

“More than 1.5 million people currently work in some of the most important and valuable jobs in our society.

“With our ageing population, there

will be a growing demand for the next generation of the care workforce. Everyone can care.”

The fun and informative event seeks to attract young talent into the profession by increasing awareness, and will share the importance of working in care settings, supporting the industry’s need to fill the 2.27 million roles required to care for us all by 2035.

Industry exhibitors including Care England, National Care Forum, and Open University will be present at the event alongside national speakers such as Deborah Sturdy, chief nurse for adult social care, Care England chair Avnish Goyal CBE and the UK’s fastest growing inspirational speaker Jermaine Harris.

Teenagers in attendance will also have the opportunity to watch an interactive performance with UpFront Theatre, network with speakers and exhibitors, and enjoy a panel discussion and Q&A with rising young stars in the care world.

Homecare firm’s staff receive mental health first aid training

STAFF at a South Lakeland homecare provider have received training to help colleagues who might develop issues with their mental health and wellbeing.

The primary aim is to look after staff at Westmorland Homecare’s South Lakes branch, which has offices in Kendal and Grange-over-Sands – but the training will also bring spin-off benefits to the company’s clients.

Senior coordinators Sarah Croasdell and Kelly Haygarth and scheduling coordinator Lisa Huck all attended and passed two-day Mental Health First Aider in the Workplace courses run by St John Ambulance.

“We have always had a passion for caring for our staff,” said Sarah. “We believe if we look after our staff they are in a better place to look after the clients so we have to make sure their mental health well-being is our top priority.”

Issues which might arise could involve workplace, family or cost of living pressures, with the effects of Covid pandemic sometimes a contributing factor.

“We felt we needed someone here who people might approach if they needed help,” added Lisa. “People know they can come in for a cup of coffee or tea and talk to us or simply send us an email.

“I now feel I have the knowledge to speak to people when they are at their most vulnerable and that I can make a connection with them.

“And if we feel there is a need for extra help, we can signpost them on to specific experts.”

The trio’s new skills mean they can also recognise signs of mental health distress in clients, clients’ families and in people outside the work environment.

Although January is traditionally viewed as a time when people’s mental health can be low, Sarah and Lisa stressed that issues could arise at any time.

They said mental health could still be a taboo subject, particularly for males.

“We are adapting the workplace

environment and have a policy in place to look at normalising the topic of mental health and letting people know that it is OK to say they have an issue,” said Sarah.

“We tell staff how to access their mental health first aiders and, once they have done so, we can set up a well-being plan, which sets goals and ensures we regularly check in with them.

“We are also considering introducing possible mental health days where, if necessary, staff can tell us that they need a day off because of issues they are facing.”

Other initiatives to care for staff have included Christmas gifts and socials and sending cards and flowers to those who go the extra mile to cover for holidays and sickness.

For clients, procedures are in place for homecare assistants to send alerts to the office if they feel a client is down or not themselves so a specific welfare call can be organised.

“It is also about the little things,” added Sarah. “It might be creating a smiley-faced salad, taking a client out on a walk or painting their nails. These kinds of things are already part of homecare assistants’ day-to-day job but these can be magic moments when they are specifically thinking about their client’s mental health.”

Westmorland Homecare provides hundreds of hours of care each week to enable elderly and often frail people to live independently in their own home.

Its services include home care, such as help with housekeeping and meal preparation, and personal care, such as help with dressing, bathing and getting in and out of bed.

Dr Chris Moss, one of the directors of Westmorland Homecare, said: “It’s wonderful that Lisa, Kelly and Sarah are leading new and interesting ways to support our staff.

“Care is a very rewarding job but can be mentally draining too. It’s great to see as a service how we are continuing to develop new ways to support staff and their mental wellbeing.”

Flavia Hansell

Sarah Croasdell (left) and Lisa Huck with their Mental Health First Aider in the Workplace certificates outside Westmorland Homecare’s offices in Kendal.

Queen’s pallbearer speaks with care home residents

A SURREY care home welcomed one of Her Majesty’s pallbearers to hear and reflect on the wartime memories of its veteran residents and share his experiences from one of the most historical events in modern history.

Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, visited Princess Christian Care Centre, part of the Nellsar group, to hear and reflect on the mix of poignant and uplifting memories of the home’s veteran residents who had lived through the Second World War.

Tony, 23, returned to his home town following a recent tour of Iraq and was welcomed to the 96-bed care home, originally built in 1914 as a home for wounded soldiers, having recently served as a pallbearer during the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Watched by billions across the globe, Tony was credited for his ‘impeccable’ role alongside seven members of his regiment who carried the coffin of Her Majesty before laying to rest the longest-serving monarch in British history.

He said: “It’s been an unforgettable few weeks, to say the least.

“Serving as one of Her Majesty’s pallbearers was the greatest honour of my life and was made even more special by the fact that it was an experience shared by only seven other people across the globe.

“To be honest, it still hasn’t sunk in

and I don’t think it ever will.

“Rewatching the day unfold at Westminster Abbey and listening to everything that was happening outside the room was probably the first moment where I truly understood the magnitude of the day.”

Tony joined the infantry regiment more than three years ago and recently married his long-term partner Hayley, resident liaison at Nellsar, who accompanied him during the service.

Tony spent the morning speaking with a host of wartime veterans at the home before being joined by Woking Town Mayor Saj Hussain and local MP Jonathan Lord for an afternoon of remembrance and reflection.

He added: “It was so nice to return to my home town for a day that centred around appreciating everything that’s been made possible due to the sacrifices of those before us. It was a very informative and humbling experience to spend the day with Princess Christian’s residents and families.

“I really enjoyed exchanging life stories with some remarkable individuals as I don’t often get the chance to hear stories from the past.

“To accompany the local veterans for a day of remembrance and hear first-hand about their wartime experiences serving our country was something I’ll never forget.”

Resident uses medical background to help dementia patients

A RETIRED GP from Southampton, living in Richmond Villages Cheltenham, is helping staff and residents to understand the realities of living with dementia.

Dr Jennifer Bute, age 76 built a well-respected career in the medical profession: she ran a hospital in rural Zululand, South Africa where she was often the only doctor on-site; she has taught doctors and nurses in various countries; and she worked as a GP for 25 years.

She was forced to take early retirement when she was diagnosed with Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in 2009. However, her diagnosis certainly did not put an end to her goal of helping others.

Jennifer’s driving passion is her desire to help people. When speaking of her career, she summed up her attitude towards her work, saying, “I loved my work and I loved my patients.”

What drove her to the medical profession is now fuelling her in her retirement.

She has spent the last decade working tirelessly to dismantle stereotypes about dementia and to help improve dementia care in retirement homes and medical settings.

Not only does she speak at conferences, post online about her experiences, and run regular memory groups for fellow dementia patients, but in 2018 she also co-wrote a book with Louise Morse about her experiences, Dementia from the Inside: A Doctor’s Personal Journey of Hope.

She said: “I want to help other people: it’s all that’s important to me. I’m not interested in myself and promoting myself, but I am interested and concerned and wanting to help everybody else.”

Jennifer has lived in Richmond Villages Cheltenham in an assisted living apartment since last January. While she has help with daily tasks such as with cleaning and cooking, she spends her own time helping other residents with their dementia diagnoses.

Not only is Jennifer able to connect with other dementia patients and

help them to understand the disease, but she also works with Richmond Villages staff.

She added: “The staff have just been so wonderful in not only accepting my help, but encouraging me.

“That has meant so much to me: the fact that they want my help because they know that it also helps me to have a purpose and to know that I have some value here too. I’m very privileged to be here. I’m so grateful to all the staff.”

To the residents and staff of Richmond Villages Cheltenham, Jennifer has become an inspirational figure. Her attitude towards dementia is unwaveringly positive.

Describing her condition she said: “Everyone is different and I passionately believe that the person with dementia remains until the end: they just need to be found and they can be found and it’s so rewarding when they are: it just brings me such joy.”

Jennifer has been running memory groups to help fellow dementia patients to find value and slow down the progression of dementia.

She said: “Helping others is everything. In many ways, my condition is a blessing, because it allows me to help other people. I feel extremely grateful and privileged to be able to do so.”

Dr Jennifer Bute.

A choir of primary schoolchildren helped an Ely care home resident celebrate her 101st birthday, presenting her with handmade cards and singing Happy Birthday. Lily Hale, who has lived at Lily House care home for six years, was joined by pupils from Isle of Ely Primary School and family members to celebrate the momentous birthday. After receiving dozens of cards and a rendition of Happy Birthday from the schoolchildren, Lily (pictured with her daughter Sandra Cutter and Lily House manager Kerry Clifton) and her family enjoyed an afternoon tea.

Lance Corporal Tony Flynn (right) alongside Christine Foster (far right), Woking Town Mayor Saj Hussain (centre), Mario Taherian (far left) and local MP Jonathan Lord (left).

Amanda Holgate has been appointed to the role of chief financial officer at Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of older people’s housing and care. Amanda, who starts at Anchor in February, has worked in the housing sector for more than eight years, first as deputy finance director at Family Mosaic and then as director, finance services at Peabody. She joined Southern Housing Group as CFO in 2019. Prior to entering the housing sector she gained more than 20 years’ financial and commercial experience in a range of sectors including financial services, technology and retail asset management. Peter Haspel took on the role of interim chief financial officer after Sarah Jones became chief executive in August 2022.

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Generations share stories ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day

OLDER and younger generations have come together to share lesserknown personal stories of Manchester people’s experiences during the Holocaust and the Second World War, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday.

Residents of Belong Morris Feinmann, the dementia specialist caring primarily for the city’s older Jewish community, welcomed young adults working with Manchester Jewish Museum to enjoy a special preview of their work exploring ways to commemorate the Holocaust, employing this year’s memorial day theme: ordinary people.

Angela Luckett, religious and cultural coordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann, said: “We’re especially pleased to host our new friends.

“Our care village foundations were borne out of the Jewish plight, and similar to Manchester Jewish Museum and the creative activists, we believe it’s imperative to preserve history for future generations.

“It means the world to our customers to see this work happening, as well as being afforded the opportunity to communicate their own experiences with young people.

“We’ve also been invited to the museum later this month and we’re looking forward to seeing the full exhibition up-close.”

The visiting group offered an insight into their creative outputs with the Didsbury care village’s customers, including poetry, playwrighting, baking, and textile manufacturing.

Their creations are set to be showcased in a programme of events and workshops at the museum on Friday, aiming to connect the untold stories inspired by the museum’s collections, with local people.

In return, the guests had the chance to meet and greet residents, some of whom include Holocaust refugees and survivors, who shared an exhibition in their home’s on-site synagogue documenting their own stories, whilst honouring the millions

of Jews who suffered persecution in the hands of the Nazis.

Aged 16-30 and from a number of different faiths, the creative activists join the project from King David High School and The Manchester College, and have been working alongside Manchester artist Becky Prestwich, putting together the public event ‘We Remember Them In Verbs’ for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023.

Gemma Meek, programmes manager at Manchester Jewish Museum, added: “Our visit to Belong Morris Feinmann was a beautiful experience.

“Young creative activists Sally and Izzy shared their work and were met with such kindness and understanding from the residents.

“We feel incredibly honoured to have heard some of the residents’ own experiences, journeys, and memories and we look forward to welcoming the group to Manchester Jewish Museum as part of our newly created friendship with them.”

The Morris Feinmann care village was originally set up to help Jews fleeing persecution in Europe and is named after a refugee who dedicated his life to supporting his people, including founding a guarantee scheme to enable German Jews to escape from the country and settle in Manchester.

His groundwork eventually led to the Manchester Jewish Refugee Committee purchasing a house for those in need.

In 2017 it was rebuilt by Belong as a state-of-the-art care village, working closely with The Feinmann Trust to maintain its Jewish ethos and culture for its customers.

The museum project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund through Imperial War Museum’s Second World War and Holocaust Partnership Programme, which works with partners across the UK to share hidden or lesser-known stories related to the Holocaust or Second World War.

Cathedral stalwart honoured with falcon sculpture

AN AUTHOR, historian and Salisbury Cathedral stalwart has had a sculpture unveiled in his honour at the city care home where he spent his final years.

After his death aged 94 on New Year’s Day 2020, the family of Tim Hatton OBE made a donation so that Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge could choose and commission a garden artwork for fellow residents to enjoy.

Members of the home’s gardening team knew that Tim was a recognised expert on the Cathedral and had spent nearly 20 years there as a volunteer guide.

The operator’s head gardener Charles Hubberstey discussed ideas for a suitable piece of art with Lesley King, Braemar Lodge gardener.

“Lesley and I considered various options carefully,” he said. “We thought of something to do with Salisbury Cathedral and its worldfamous spire. It’s well known that peregrine falcons have nested on

the top of the spire in the past few years, so the idea of a falcon seemed right, especially for a sculpture that was to be sited outdoors and among nature.”

After some research and with the agreement of the home, Charles and Lesley commissioned Lymingtonbased metal artist Michael Turner to

design and produce the work.

Michael is an internationally recognised sculptor who makes robust, handcrafted garden artwork inspired by nature using recycled materials.

The result of his commission from Braemar Lodge is a stainless-steel falcon, just over life size, mounted on a six-foot oak branch.

Charles unveiled the falcon to a gathering of residents in the lounge before setting it on a plinth in the garden. Its simple inscription reads: ‘Thank You Tim Hatton’.

Residents, many of whom fondly recall Tim, immediately voiced their approval of what is the first garden sculpture at the home.

Tim was the author of a book on the history of Salisbury Cathedral, The Man Who Moved a Cathedral. He also published an autobiography, Tock Tock Birds, charting his military career including spells with the Indian Army and Gurkha Rifles.

In his 20s, he was a Company Commander during the 1947 partition of the Punjab, helping to escort 100,000 Muslims on foot through hostile Hindu territory to the safety of Pakistan.

He worked in Malaysia between 1948 and 1966 spending time in both the colonial service and as a director of the Malaysian Special Branch.

His distinguished career in the civil service brought him an MBE and an OBE and was followed by a period doing voluntary work in education.

He became a Cathedral guide after he and Sarah retired to Salisbury in 1994.

In his years as a guide he mentored dozens of junior colleagues and especially enjoyed acting as an interpreter for foreign visitors.

He stepped down in 2013 and made his final return to the Cathedral on a visit with fellow Braemar Lodge residents when he was 93 in October 2018.

Creative activist Sally Hirst meets Belong Morris Feinmann residents.

Photo credit: Belong Morris Feinmann

Creative activists during a baking session for the project at Manchester Jewish Museum. Photo credit: Ryan Croney

Care home receives highest rating after surprise inspection

WESTGATE Healthcare’s Byron House Care Home in Aylesbury has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating following its recent unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

It achieved the highest rating in three out of the five categories assessed by the regulator – Caring, Responsive and Well-Led.

Inspectors found there was a ‘strong commitment to providing personalised care’ which was delivered by ‘a dedicated staff team who were committed to the vision and values of the service’.

The team provide personal, residential and nursing services for up to 28 people and ‘appreciate people for who they are and recognise the value of their life experience’.

Kyla Darling, home manager and qualified registered nurse, who has been part of the Westgate Healthcare family since 2021, has brought a wealth of experience to the home, having more than 10 years’ experience working in care.

She said: “Our team are such amazing people and deliver the best care to our residents.

“I want to shout that from the rooftops.

“It is a lovely recognition for us in such a difficult time in social care and gives the team the validation they so deserve, working the way they do day to day but especially during the pandemic.

“They all go the extra mile to ensure

Care home resident Lore Lucas celebrated her 103rd birthday with the help of her family and friends, royalty and even a local dignitary. To mark the achievement she was treated to a party at Signature at Elton House in Bushey, where she enjoyed a range of food, drink and a birthday cake freshly prepared by the catering team at the care home. Lore also received numerous cards from loved ones, as well as flowers and plants as new additions to her windowsill garden.

Lore and her fellow residents were surprised with a visit from the Mayor of Hertsmere, Councillor John Graham, who stopped by for a drink and a chat. The occasion also represented Lore’s first birthday since Covid-related Government guidance on restricted visitation ended.

our residents are safe and happy. We are very proud to be the only home in Aylesbury with an Outstanding rating.”

The CQC report acknowledges the home’s recruitment process which is ‘values based’ and favours people who display empathy, kindness and strong teamwork skills over experience.

Furthermore, training for team members was described as “high quality” and containing an emphasis on person centred care.

The report states: “There was a warm, welcoming atmosphere promoted by caring, compassionate staff. All staff despite their roles, were trained to care. For example, domestic and maintenance staff knew people well and were trained to support people with care needs.”

Further credit was given to team members for their ability to “excel” when dealing with a person in distress by using distraction techniques and the inspectors felt that the team went that “extra mile” to provide residents with social activities they could complete safely.

Credit was given to Byron House for its research which has helped improve its services, with its dining service being used as an example of something which has improved based on residents’ comments.

Team members, families, residents and stakeholders will be celebrating with a black tie event at Waddesdon Hall in March.

Richard helps Roger rediscover his focus

A KEEN amateur photographer living with dementia is finding great joy in being supported to re-engage with his former hobby by staff at the home where he lives in Wellington, Somerset.

When 79-year-old Roger Jack moved into Camelot House and Lodge in October, his family was asked to share details of his interests with the team to help them create the right kind of person-centred care for him.

Daughter Becky told them her dad was always passionate about photography and had been taking photos for as long as she could remember, at least as far back as the early ‘80s, and had curated a collection of albums featuring his work, including lots of autumnal scenes and sunsets.

On hearing about their new resident’s interest, the home’s activities co-ordinator and fellow photography enthusiast Richard Dempslake decided to bring his own SLR Nikon digital camera into work to share with Roger who – at that point –no longer had a camera of his own.

Richard, who studied photography at the University of Plymouth before he started working in care, said: “As soon as I gave my camera to Roger you could see the passion flooding back.

“I didn’t have to aid him in holding it or in taking photos. It was heartbreaking to ask him for it back at the end of the session.

“I asked Becky if Roger had a camera he could use at Camelot and she said she’d get him a new one, so she did and now there’s no stopping him.

“Supporting residents to take part in activities they really enjoy is such

an important part of our work here, so working with Roger to reignite his interest – with Becky’s invaluable support too – is a real pleasure.”

Richard added: “One of the characteristics of dementia is that a person’s ability to continue to participate in activities they’ve always enjoyed becomes too challenging for them unless they are actively supported in them. The underlying interest remains, but the ability to pursue it declines.

“So one of the major benefits in moving a loved one with dementia into a specialist residential home is that staff can support them to continue with the activities they enjoy which would otherwise probably fall by the wayside, which helps enable them to live their best lives despite their condition.”

Grant awarded to club

THE CareTech Foundation has awarded a community grant of £2,500 to Aldershot Town Football Club to enable older supporters to travel to football matches.

During the pandemic the club, which plays in the Vanarama National League, realised that a large number of older people in the community were isolated, so worked with care homes to distribute free tickets for Saturday games.

The club has now formalised this and launched ‘Eldershot’ and secured a sponsor to fund tickets for groups in local homes. The Foundation’s grant will be go toward helping fund transport for the Eldershot programme.

Jonathan Freeman MBE, CEO of CareTech Foundation, said: “During the pandemic so many older people were isolated and unable to connect

with their communities.

“The Foundation is delighted to be able to support Aldershot Town Football Club’s Eldershot programme, with funding for transport, so older residents in care homes can travel to matches on a Saturday.

“This is a terrific programme and it will help to make a difference to the lives of older residents in care homes interested in football in Aldershot.”

The Foundation receives an annual donation of 2.5 per cent pre-tax profit from CareTech Holdings Limited, the founding corporation and social care provider for adults and children’s services in the UK.

With this donation the CareTech Foundation delivers meaningful impact to communities in the UK and overseas by supporting and championing the social care sector, care workers and those living in care.

Keen photographer Roger Jack.