A Warrington-based care company is donating staff to support others ahead of a Royal request for “The Big Help Out.”
As part of the King’s Coronation weekend, His Majesty King Charles will be encouraging people to participate more fully in their communities.
However, Warrington-based Care at Home Group has pre-empted the royal request and is not only actively encouraging their staff, while paying them to do so, to help others as often as one day every month.
The scheme is known in the company as ‘Muddles makes a Difference’ and sees their mascot dragon ‘Muddles’ accompanying team members who participate in a range of charity and community opportunities. Already staff have been supporting at St Rocco’s hospice, grooming at animal sanctuaries, and Muddle’s latest jape, singing along with people affected by Dementia at Smiley Tunes in Lymm.
Care at Home Group anticipate that their team will donate over 390 hours a year, and they hope that they can inspire other companies to get involved, and help to strengthen the communities that they work and live in.
Tamsin Vincent, Deputy Manager explains what she gained from spending time helping out at St Rocco’s Furniture shop.
“I loved my day playing shop, it was totally different to what I do as a job supporting our carers. It was fascinating to observe the journey of a donation being transformed into its new owners ‘treasure’. I literally put a lamp on the shelf and later that day I was chatting with its potential rescuer about how it might fit with her colour scheme. It was so satisfying, especially for an eco-conscious person like me! There were also parts of the job that I’d never considered, like dusting the ornaments, measuring the curtains for sale and hoovering the enormous shop. I’ll never take charity shopping for granted again!
“I would happily go back and volunteer at the shop again and I’d also like to do a day with animals on one of my future volunteering dates. Our scheme gives us the flexibility to try new things, and all for a great community cause.”
If a charity or project is looking for helpers and would like a member of the Care at Home Group team to spend a day with them they can contact Elicia Lindley at Care at Home Group on 01925 652800.
