Helping Hands celebrates 30 years in home care with its customers.

During May, Helping Hands Home Care will celebrate the company’s 30th year in providing quality care – with the help of some of their most loyal and longest-standing customers.

To commemorate this milestone in the company’s history, Chairman Tim Lee visited two customers who have collectively received care from the company for nearly 40 years and presented them with a token of appreciation.

Jean, a Helping Hands customer for 23 years, was visited by Tim, Area Manager Joanne Broderick and her visiting carer Yvonne Maddock.

After getting acquainted, Tim and Jean quickly realised they had much in common, including both starting their Helping Hands journey in 1996 – Tim joining his mum Mary in the business and Jean receiving her first few hours of visiting care.

Tim also visited Julie, another valued customer who has received both live-in and visiting care for the past 16 years. Also present was Worcester Live-in Manager Samantha Grabham, Julie’s live-in carer Sophie Gakwaya and her visiting carer since 2002 – Mandy Baylis.

Mandy, Julie’s visiting carer commented: “It’s been an absolute pleasure looking after Julie all these years. She’s a really wonderful lady and we have a great relationship. The bond we have developed means our visits are more like a catch-up with an old friend. I see first-hand the benefit she feels by having someone there to support her; it means the world to her that she can be independent at home.”

Tim Lee said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating our 30th year and I am so proud that we are now considered one of the nation’s leading providers in home care. It’s a fantastic achievement and we couldn’t think of a more fitting way to mark this special year by spending time with two of our most loyal customers.

He continued: “Since my mother, Mary Lee, began the company in 1989, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure we provide only the very best care to enable people to live independently and with dignity in their own homes. This wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our compassionate carers, who are the face of our business, and our support staff, who keep everything ticking over behind the scenes. We really are one big family and it’s testament to them that we are still providing quality care to continue the amazing work that my mother initiated so many years ago.”

As a teacher for children with additional needs, Mary realised that there was a need for providers that could deliver quality care for people in their own home. After initially setting up the business at her kitchen table in Cheltenham, she went on to build the business from a small office in Alcester.

Now with 97 branches nationwide and with her sons Tim and Ben at the helm, Helping Hands is one of largest, most respected and trusted providers of home care in the UK having supported over 40,000 families since its inception.

Later this year, the company will open its one hundredth branch, enabling even more people to remain in the comforts of their own home – regardless of their age, disability or geographical area.

If you would like to find out more about finding care for you or a loved one, or are interested in becoming a carer, visit the Helping Hands website www.helpinghands.co.uk, call 0333 414 3885 for care or call 0333 130 6949 for becoming a carer.