Stories

Since lockdown began, the team at our Jellicoe Court supported living service in Basingstoke have gone the extra mile to make life feel as normal as possible for the people they support.

We are now over halfway through our Around the World in 80 Days Challenge, with almost 9,000 miles completed and over £5,000 raised. Our services have been getting involved in any way they can, and Danielle, activities coordinator at our Hampshire day service On Track, is encouraging more services and groups to do the same.

Our support workers always find a way to go the extra mile, so when Brenda and Steven noticed how unloved their garden looked at Allen Meale Way, they decided to use lockdown to their advantage and give the green space the overhaul it needed.

Service manager Louise is ‘over the moon’ after her service received a surprise £500 donation from a kind-hearted local businesswoman.

Alex, or ‘Tubby’ as he is known at Donec Mews, our registered care home in Hampshire has always felt very anxious going to medical appointments. However, thanks to the hard work of support workers Veronica and Jeff, Tubby overcame his nerves at his GP health check last week, and left feeling happier than ever before.

Our Around the World in 80 Day Challenge is well underway, with over 2,000 miles completed so far, and supporters are getting involved in any way they can – from dog walking to tandem bike rides. We have caught up with some of our challengers to see how they have been getting on with their miles.

As lockdown eases, the people we support are beginning to experience the things they enjoy the most for the first time in months. From having their favourite meals to seeing their loved ones from a distance, support worker Scott tells us what is has been like working through the highs and lows of lockdown.

Daniella has taken part in countless half marathons, three marathons and a full Ironman in Copenhagen, and for her next venture she’ll be taking part in FitzRoy’s Around the World in 80 Days Challenge. She’ll be joining people across the country who will be collectively covering 25,127 miles to help transform the lives of the people we support. 

There is no doubt that coronavirus is a crisis for the social care sector. We need to stand together and help each other through the most challenging times we have ever faced, to continue to do everything we can to protect the people we support and our staff.