It was a very special day on 22nd January for Betty Reed as she reached the amazing milestone of 100 years.
A resident at Trevaylor Manor Care Home in Penzance, Betty celebrated not only her birthday but that of her twin, Joan, and the bond they have shared for a century.
The identical sisters were born on January 22nd, 1925, in Hayle, Cornwall to Mrs Emily Williams and quickly became known in the area as the Williams twins. The girls attended Bodriggy School and later Hayle Grammar School and during her mid-school years Betty was chosen as Hayle Carnival Queen.
Betty started work at Primrose Dairy in the nearby village of St Erth, taking shorthand and typing classes in the evenings whilst her sister Joan worked for the Co-op. During the war years the girls enjoyed local dances held for the American GIs stationed at bases nearby and helped their mother look after the frequent family members who came to stay.
Having progressed well at the dairy, Betty met her husband to be Jack Reed, who after being demobbed from the RAF came to work for Harveys of Hayle. The couple got married in 1951 and initially moved into a flat above a local butcher’s shop.
Betty sang in Hayle Ladies Choir also played piano and Jack bought a Morris Eight tourer. Meanwhile Joan, had moved away with her husband, first to Abbey Wood and later to Basingstoke. Betty and Jack saved hard and bought a large plot of land in Penmare, Hayle, building a lovely bungalow, just half a mile from Betty’s parents.
Due to a leg injury, Betty retired early from Primrose Dairy but continued with the choir and earned many prizes at local fetes for her crochet work and baking. She also continued studies in musical theory at a local Technical College.
Following retirement, Jack designed and built a house in Marazion, Cornwall, overlooking St Michael’s Mount. He and Betty left their bungalow and moved there in 2000. In the following years, they joined groups of veterans who visited the D-Day beaches and war graves on several occasions.
Following the death of Betty and Joan’s parents, Joan bought their old family home and after over 50 years was back in Cornwall. In 2012, following a stroke Jack moved into Trevaylor Manor Residential Care Home where he was joined by Betty in 2017. Jack sadly died two years later.
Both sisters now reside in residential care homes, Betty in Trevaylor Manor near Penzance and Joan in The Elms Care Centre in Saltash, East Cornwall. Despite being apart, the sister’s keep in touch by phone and Joan’s daughter, Libby, helps keep the family ties going with the story of the twins long and happy lives documented for future generations.
The staff at Trevaylor Manor, part of the Swallowcourt portfolio of homes, made sure Betty had a special day with cake, balloons and flowers, arranging a call with her beloved sister Joan. Betty received her personalised congratulatory message from the King, which was on proud display on her special day.
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Margaret celebrated her 100th birthday last Thursday at Ponsandane, Penzance.
Born at 06:15am in Derbyshire to Mary and Ben, Margaret was one of four children, having two sisters and a brother. Having spent most her life in Derbyshire and Nottingham, Margaret then moved to Cornwall in 2011 following the death of her beloved husband William. Margaret was very talented at smocking, this skill and talent led her on to making samples for big companies, such as M&S, this was her passion. In later years she went to work as a school dinner lady and worked in the co-op bakery before retiring.
Margaret has two sons, eldest Patrick, and youngest Alan. Patrick currently lives in Canada and has done for many years; he has two children and four grandchildren. Her favourite things are her sons, she talks fondly of them and refers to them as “my boys”. She has great memories of having family holidays in Cornwall.
Margaret has lived at Ponsandane since 2019 and celebrated the special occasion with her son Alan, his partner Jill, her friend Diane, along with her Ponsandane family.
Margaret commented “I’ve had the loveliest day whilst enjoying some birthday cake”.
Margaret’s son Alan stated “All the staff handled the day perfectly. It was a very happy day for me and memorable for us all. It couldn’t have been better.”
Brondi Sheehy, Home Manager, commented “It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and as always our dedicated team pulled out all the stops to make it a day to remember. We all love a celebration here at Ponsandane!”.
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]]>Team members and residents at Ponsandane celebrated after achieving their second consecutive ‘Good’ rating following the unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
The latest report, published in April, stated that: staff at Ponsandane were “very kind, caring and helpful”.
The Manager, Brondi Sheehy, stated that: “The whole team at Ponsandane have worked exceptionally hard to provide the highest quality of care. Every part of our service cohesively delivers the best possible experience for our residents. Each department ensures that exceptional personal care is continuously met every day for each resident. We are very proud of the team, they have been shown to be, adaptable and resilient and most importantly an outstandingly caring team”.
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]]>The post Poldhu Net Swim appeared first on Swallowcourt.
]]>We planned a morning of cold water swimming with hot drinks and a breakfast roll, however what actually happened was so much more.
People tried something new, overcame their anxieties, faced adversity together and there was a heartwarming connection of people.
Arriving on a cold and slightly windy day at Poldhu, there were definitely a few questioning their choices. Some felt nervous having never done it before and some came on their own not knowing anyone else there.
As a group we walked down to the sea, some embraced the cold water quicker than others but everyone got into the water with words of encouragement and the support of being in a group.
Following our swim there was a very different mood as we walked up to Poldhu to warm up. The was a profound sense of achievement.
Whilst everyone warmed up with some hot drinks and breakfast, there was a lot of chat in the room with new connections being made as everyone had a common theme to talk about. Some of our residents were in the centre of the lively café area joining in and others chose to quietly watch from afar, enjoying seeing some different faces.
Heather and Joe came over from Porthleven and discovered that George, who lives at Poldhu, had a book about people from the local area. He delighted in showing them the book, all of them recognising people they knew of, and a wonderful bond was formed. Their gorgeous baby took it all in and many enjoyed having a young one in the home.
Following the event we received the following feedback:
“I met some lovely, interesting people, which has made my day. I, for one, am very grateful.”
“Lovely event and some great chats.”
“I was very nervous beforehand but really enjoyed the experience and it doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone as everyone is so friendly”.
What did we learn from this event?
Bringing people together in any form is great, overcoming a challenge as a team is special and there is so much to be shared through multi-generational connections.
We hope that there will be more of these events in the coming months and already have many ideas to bring the community into our Homes more often.
Kim Pankhurst, Managing Director, said:
“It was probably the coldest I’ve ever been at work, but the heartening scenes afterwards made it all worthwhile. Credit to the swimmers…the Poldhu staff who joined in, the Managers who came from other homes and the support services. Thanks to our lovely residents, John for the breakfast baps and to Gemma and her crazy ideas that make great things happen.”
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]]>The post Cornish care provider, Swallowcourt, has been recognised as Finalists at the Great British Care Awards South West Regional Finals for the third year in a row. appeared first on Swallowcourt.
]]>Swallowcourt believe that investing in their workforce and offering career progression results in a good retention rate which is demonstrated by 20% of their current workforce having worked for the company for 10 years or more.
Poldhu’s kitchen team are finalists in the Care Home Chef category and 9 individuals have also been recognised as finalists.
Gemma Elloway, Head of Business and Finance at Swallowcourt said “We have held our own Swallowcourt Heroes awards for the last few years which has highlighted some of the amazing people within our teams but we are immensely proud to see them achieve this recognition at a regional level. Each finalist absolutely deserves their place at the awards and we hope to be bringing back an award or two. To have 2 finalists in some categories is a testament to the strength within our teams.”
Representatives from Swallowcourt and the individual nominees will be attending the Regional Finals at Ashton Gate, Bristol on 23rd November this year.
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]]>A leading Cornish care provider has been recognised for its outstanding commitment as an employer by winning two awards at The Great British Care Awards South West Regional Finals.
Swallowcourt who operate six nursing and specialist residential homes situated within some of the most beautiful settings in Cornwall triumphed as both the Workforce Development Award winners and the winner of the Three R’s Award for Recruitment, Recognition and Retention.
Due to the geographical location of their homes in West Cornwall, Swallowcourt faces the significant challenges associated with rural recruitment, but with a commitment to investing in the communities in which they work, Swallowcourt offers a variety of career progression opportunities and embraces a culture of ‘growing their own’ staff.
The Great British Care Awards are a celebration of excellence across the care sector, paying tribute to those individuals and organisations who have demonstrated outstanding quality within their field of work.
Despite the unprecedented challenges over the last three years, Swallowcourt has implemented and reaped the rewards of a profound change in its culture, promoting involvement and inclusivity and committing to above industry standard investment in its teams to ensure the delivery of the very highest standards of care.
Jamie Harrison, Head of HR for Swallowcourt, said “Whilst we continue to be affected by challenges within the care sector, these awards recognise how as an employer we have committed to nurture, support and develop our team members. Equipping individuals with the skills they need to not only provide outstanding care but also support career progression pathways to promote both personal and professional development”.
Having won their regional award, Swallowcourt will now go on to represent the whole of South West in those categories in the National Finals at Birmingham ICC taking place in March 2023.
For more information or images contact:
Jamie Harrison, Head of HR
Swallowcourt Limited
jharrison@swallowcourt.com
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]]>The Managing Director of Swallowcourt, a care provider operating six Nursing and Residential Care Homes in Cornwall was last week recognised for her leadership of the group at a prestigious national awards ceremony in London.
Triumphing over strong competition, Leah Marsh scooped both the Business Hero Silver Award and Corporate Leader Gold Award at the National Business Women’s Awards held at the Hilton London in Wembley on Friday 18th November.
Organisers of The National Business Women’s Awards explained the Business Hero Award recognised those who have gone above and beyond in the face of adversity and the Corporate Leader Award was in recognition of an individual who has demonstrated being a proven leader, energising and inspiring people within their organisation.
On winning this reputable National Award Leah said “It was truly humbling to have been short-listed as a finalist for these awards alongside so many highly esteemed and enterprising female business leaders and to have won was just amazing”. Mrs Marsh went on to say “I am delighted to have been recognised, however these achievements are a testament to a wider leadership team at Swallowcourt and of course the dedication and true frontline heroes across all of the Swallowcourt homes that I have the privilege to work with and I hope that in some way this recognition helps to highlight both Cornwall and Social Care on a national stage”.
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A leading Cornish care provider has been recognised as one of the Best Places to Work after being shortlisted as a Finalist in the Western Morning News Business Awards 2022.
Swallowcourt operate six nursing and specialist residential homes situated within some of the most beautiful settings in Cornwall. The homes are well appointed and maintained. Each home is managed by talented and experienced professionals who lead dedicated, passionate, and highly trained nursing and care teams, caring for over 200 individuals at any time.
With over 400 employees, Swallowcourt prides itself on its commitment to supporting, nurturing, and caring for its staff so they are well placed to provide the highest level of care to the residents they are privileged to support.
Due to the geographical location of their homes in West Cornwall, Swallowcourt faces the significant challenges associated with rural recruitment, but with a commitment to investing in the communities in which they work, Swallowcourt offers a variety of career progression opportunities and embraces a culture of ‘growing their own’ staff.
Over the last three years despite the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, Swallowcourt has implemented and reaped the rewards of a profound change in its culture, promoting involvement and inclusivity and committing to above industry standard investment in its teams to ensure the delivery of the very highest standards of care.
Speaking after learning they had been shortlisted as a finalist, Leah Marsh, Managing Director of Swallowcourt said:
We are honoured to be acknowledged in this way and are continually humbled by and incredibly proud of dedication, commitment and tenacity of our teams working tirelessly across our Swallowcourt Homes, maintaining the highest standards of care and support”. Leah continued by saying “We are committed to continually explore how we can support and recognise our team members, not only through pay and working conditions, but also through our culture, through recognition and by listening to the feedback we receive”.
In being announced as a finalist in the Best Places to Work category, Swallowcourt was able to evidence to the judges how the company has established credibility in terms of vision and communication. How employees are treated with respect and equality, encouraging team members to take pride in their work through creating a successful team environment with a commitment to wellbeing and safety.
Swallowcourt will learn if they are named as the overall winner when representatives attend the awards ceremony being held at Sandy Park Stadium, Exeter on Wednesday November 30.
For more information or images contact:
Leah Marsh, Managing Director
Swallowcourt Limited
lmarsh@swallowcourt.com
Mob: 07720 216110
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]]>Following a comprehensive pay and benefit review undertaken by Cornwall based care provider Swallowcourt, the group have pledged from the 1st October to pay a minimum of the Real Living Wage to all of its staff across it’s six nursing and residential homes.
Acknowledging the unprecedented challenges faced in the last 18 months, Swallowcourt Managing Director Leah Marsh said “Whilst as an employer we have always offered above industry standard benefits, after consultation with our staff teams it became very clear that some of the benefits we offered whilst appreciated, were not as important as being paid a wage that meets the cost of living, not just the Government minimum”
Mrs Marsh continued “The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for key workers to be paid a real Living Wage. In adult social care, almost three-quarters of care workers in England earn below the real Living Wage and whilst we clapped for carers at the start of the pandemic, as an employer we recognise that now clapping must translate into proper pay for the work that our amazing care staff do”.
Earlier this week #BetterPay4SocialCare, a coalition of care providers from across the UK submitted a petition to the Government to increase funding to local authorities to pass on to social care providers to enable them to increase pay for care workers. Swallowcourt has also raised the current social care crisis in Cornwall and related pay of care workers with local MP’s, elected members and Cornwall Council, however, has received little or no response to the issues that have been raised so far.
As a Real Living Wage employer, also referred to as the Living Wage Foundation all staff and contractors working for Swallowcourt will receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50 regardless of age or length of service. This starting rate is significantly higher than the government minimum wage with further enhancements paid based upon roles, responsibilities, qualifications, overtime and weekend working.
“Whilst this is a significant and unbudgeted investment, it is absolutely the right thing for us to be doing at this time, we simply cannot delay this increase to our lowest paid team members in the hope that it will be supported at some point in the future by increased funding” Leah went on to say “In recent years as a social care provider we have been fortunate enough to invest in our homes and technology to further improve the environment and quality of care we provide and it is only right that we now make this pledge to our dedicated and hardworking teams in recognition of all that they do.”
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]]>The Managing Director of Swallowcourt, a care provider operating six Nursing and Residential Care Homes in Cornwall was last week recognised for her leadership of the group throughout the Covid-19 pandemic at a prestigious national awards ceremony in London.
Triumphing over strong competition, Leah Marsh scooped the Lockdown Leader Gold Award at the National Business Women’s Awards held at the Hilton London in Wembley on Thursday 22nd July.
Organisers of The National Business Women’s Awards explained the Lockdown Leader category: “Being a leader of people and an organisation is a difficult task at any time but steering a ship through a COVID storm requires someone to take charge, make decisions and provide clear direction. This award will go to someone who has kept her team motivated and informed and who has continued to inspire and show passion and optimism in exceptionally difficult circumstances.”
Finalists in the Lockdown Leader category included numerous high profile female business leaders including the CEO of Everton Football Club.
On winning this reputable National Award Leah said “I was honoured to have been short-listed as a finalist for this award alongside so many highly esteemed and enterprising female business leaders and to have won was a humbling achievement”. Mrs Marsh went on to say “I am over the moon to have won the award and it is a testament to a wider leadership team at Swallowcourt and of course the dedication and true frontline heroes across all of the Swallowcourt homes that I am privileged to have led through the toughest of times”.
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