Proud to sponsor Stroud Life's Customer Care award 2013

Corinium Care was proud to sponsor the Customer Care category in this year’s Stroud Life Business Awards.

The live-in care agency was the winner of the Customer Care and Service award 2012.

Managing Director Clare Janik said: “We were very proud to win last year and wanted to do our bit to promote the importance of putting customer care at the heart of any business.”

She was one of the judges in 2013 along with Stroud Life Editor Jason Chare, Chief Executive of Stroud District Council David Hagg, and solicitor Judi Bonham from fellow-sponsor Winterbotham Smith Penley.

This year’s Customer Service Award winner was the Ecotricity Group Ltd, the green energy provider based in Stroud which consistently tops industry tables for the least number of complaints per 1,000 customers, recording .55 in 2011 and .51 in 2012.

The Ecotricity team collected their award from Clare at a glittering ceremony at the Old Lodge in Minchinhampton, attended by more than 200 guests. “We’d like to extend our congratulations to the Ecotricity team who submitted a really impressive entry,” said Clare.

The judges were looking for a company which demonstrated a commitment to continuously improving its standards of customer care. They expected to see a clear, well-implemented customer care policy and examples of services exceeding customer expectations. They also wished to hear how customer care initiatives contributed to the overall success of the business.

Mary leaps from skies to raise charity cash

When it comes to adventure, the sky’s the limit for Corinium Care's live-in carer Mary Norris.

The 61-year-old jumped from a plane at 10,000 feet in a charity skydive, and the next day she took part in a 10k run in 31 degrees of heat.

“The skydive was absolutely awesome,” said Mary, who has been with Corinium since 2011.

“I was a bit nervous getting kitted up. Then you edge towards the back of the plane and realise it’s too late to go back. Then you jump and just drop. It was so quiet. I felt like a bird.

“It was tremendous. I’d have loved to do it a dozen more times.”

The next day Mary left her skydive base in Cumbria and ran in a 10k event in London.

“It was stinking hot so it took me 1hr 20mins – my worst time ever,” she said.

“My two children think I’m nuts, but they know their mum – I like to do weird and wonderful things and they were thrilled to bits.”

Mary is currently caring for a client in Lincoln who has Parkinson’s Disease. It was because of her client’s condition that she chose to raise money for Parkinson’s UK and has raised more than £700 so far.

“She is more thrilled about all this than I am,” said Mary. “She has been my PR officer in a way, getting me extra sponsors. She is really not well at the moment, but it put her on a high and helped get her through the weekend.”

Mary thanked Corinium Care for their support as well as their sponsorship. “Corinium Care are a great team. The training we’re given and the support that’s there for us carers is exceptional. Thank you Corinuim!!”

Amanda Butler, Commercial Director at Corinium Care in Nailsworth, congratulated Mary. “We’re proud to sponsor Mary – her courage is an inspiration,” she said.

Anyone who wants to sponsor Mary can do so at www.justgiving.com/esther-mary-norris