It arrived! Truck load of aid from Corinium Care reaches Zimbabwe
Staff and residents of the Edith Duly Nursing Home in Bulawayo were overwhelmed by the shipment from Gloucestershire.
It included walking frames, wheelchairs, walking sticks and hearing aids which are like gold dust in the strife-torn country.
“It was as if Christmas had arrived on their doorstep,” said Corinium Care Managing Director Camilla Miles who flew out to visit the nursing home in November.
“Because we’d asked everyone to support us, I wanted to see with my own eyes what was happening to everything you all donated.
“There is no doubt that absolultely nothing will be wasted. The staff are the most magnificent people who do amazing work in very trying circumstances.
“They have to grow their own vegetables because they can’t get them in the shops, the water supply and electricity supplies are intermittent, the medicine cupboard is pretty bare, and the cooker had to be seen to be believed.
“The elderly people being cared for have lost everything.”
The company decided to adopt the charity Homes in Zimbabwe in 2010 because many of our live-in carers come from the African country. Being a carer in the UK offers an income and a safe haven.
“The stories they tell us about life in Zimbabwe made us realise that there is a real need, and we wanted to give something back,” said Camilla.
That was the cue for the start of a year of fundraising. Corinium staff have pumped iron at the gym, pedalled miles through the Cotswolds, baked delicious cakes and, with the support of carers and clients, have now sent a truck load of equipment to Zimbabwe.
Together our staff, clients and carers have raised a staggering £6,000 for HIZ. Thankyou so much!
“It’s been an amazing year and we’re very grateful that everyone has responded so generously,” said Camilla.
Homes In Zimbabwe provides food and medicine to the elderly who are in desperate need because of the collapse of the economy.
It is the largest supplier of food to pensioners in Zimbabwe. It supports a soup kitchen and a mobile clinic taking vital medicines to those who need them.
Anyone who wants to support HIZ can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniumcare
Triple accolade at Great South West Care Awards
Corinium Care staff received a triple accolade in the Great South West Care Awards.
The company was shortlisted in two categories: the Care Employer and Care Team Awards. In addition, Corinium’s Director of Care Services Clare Janik was a finalist for the Care Trainer Award.
The scheme is a celebration of excellence which aims to promote best practice and pay tribute to outstanding standards, enterprise and dedication.
Corinium Care was up against professionals from all areas of the care sector in the South West, including residential homes, the NHS and big business.
MD Camilla Miles said: “We were thrilled to receive such praise for the team as a whole.
“Caring is at the heart of all we do. We recognise that what our clients want most is dignity, compassion and understanding at the most vulnerable time of their lives. And we make it our mission to ensure that they find it in both our head office staff and our live-in carers.”
The business she founded in 1995 provides 24-hour care for frail and elderly people in their own homes. It has 17 staff at its head office in George Street and 800 registered carers worldwide. This year it won the title Business in the Year in the Gloucestershire Media Women in Business Awards.
The company’s longest serving employee, Director of Operations Amanda Butler, said team work was central to success. “It’s essential that everyone knows their role, but we also help each other at every turn, whether it’s opening the post or taking a vital call,” she said.
Director of Care Services Clare Janik has played a huge role in ensuring that the training Corinium offers is first class. Unlike most of its competitors, the company runs a free training course every month for about 16 new carers, most of whom come from abroad and have little experience.
“Many say the course is an inspiration and has changed their lives,” said Clare.
The South West Care Awards ceremony was held in Bristol.
Corinium Care launches first recruitment seminar in Zimbabwe
Corinium Care is staging its first recruitment seminar in Zimbabwe on October 14th.
Managing Director Camilla Miles will head up the event in Bulawayo, seeking live-in carers for the company’s elderly and disabled clients in the UK.
She will also host a thankyou lunch for more than 50 Zimbabwean carers who have worked for Corinium Care in the last ten years, providing 24-hour care for people in their own homes.
“It seemed the perfect opportunity to thank the carers who have put in so much work for us in the past,” she said.
The company, based in Gloucestershire, is one of the leading care agencies in Britain. It has 17 staff and more than 800 registered carers from Britain and abroad. It has recruitment offices in South Africa, Zimbabwe and New Zealand. This year it won the title Business of the Year.
The aim of the seminar is to explain to potential carers what the role of a live-in carer involves. Women who have worked for Corinium Care in the past will be there to answer questions. Many are aged 45-60 whose children have left home and who want to travel or visit relatives in Britain.
“Zimbabwe is for us a great opportunity for us,” said Camilla. “The people are hard-working with the right life skills behind them. For many it’s a new start, and a new lease of life. Being a live-in carer in the UK also offers a reliable source of income.”
Corinium Care began taking live-in carers from Zimbabwe ten years ago when news about the company spread by word of mouth. A recruitment office was set up in Harare in 2005 and is run by the company’s agent in Zimbabwe Jenny Osbourne who will be present at the October seminar.
“Our seminars offer a real chance to promote the benefits of live-in care to a new audience, and to offer opportunities to people who might not necessarily have considered a career in care work abroad,” said Camilla.
All who attend the seminar in Bulawayo must have eligibility to work in the UK. All registered carers take part in Corinium Care’s free, award-winning, five-day training programme in the UK which includes personal care, dementia care, recognising signs of abuse, and moving and handling.
Last year the company adopted the charity Homes in Zimbabwe which provides food for pensioners.
For more info about the seminar, contact jenny@corinium.co.zw, +263 4 850271
corinium.co.zw
UK company Corinium Care launches recruitment drive in South Africa
Carer Viorica flies high for Pippa and therapy centre
Viorica did the 15,000ft tandem jump, whilst Pippa badgered friends and relatives for sponsorship.
Their aim: to support the Wessex Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Warminster where Pippa receives regular therapy.
Pippa, 65, from Downton, near Salisbury has suffered from primary progressive multiple sclerosis for 30 years.
"I go to the therapy centre every week - it's essential in helping me to keep mobile and able to function in my home environment. As the NHS cannot support this kind of service on a regular basis, the weekly physiotherapy is extremely important. Helping to raise some money was an opportunity to do my bit for the centre," she said.
"I’m proud that we made £3,800. I’ve been busy on the telephone, writing to people, going up and down the street knocking on doors and badgering friends and relations."
Viorica, 40, a carer with Corinium Care since 2008, was born in Romania and has been with Pippa for more than two years.
"The MS centre is really important for people like Pippa whose ability to walk changes from one day to another. This jump was a small contribution I could make to help ensure it survives, and it was an enjoyable project that Pippa and I could do together."
The jump took place in Devon. "The first minute was in freefall which was quite frightening. But as soon as the parachute opened it was an absolutely unforgettable experience," said Viorica.
The Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, who sponsored Viorica, said: “Viorica is an excellent carer and her willingness to go the extra 15,000 ft to support Pippa is admirable."
Anyone who wants to add to the fundraising total can send a cheque, payable to the Wessex MS Therapy Centre, to Mrs Roberts at Minton Cottage, 20 The Borough, Downton SP5 3ND.
Our Truck is on its Way to Help Elderly People in Zimbabwe
The live-in care agency has adopted the charity Homes in Zimbabwe which provides food and medicine to the elderly in the strife-torn country.
They appealed to their clients and carers to donate equipment they no longer needed and soon filled a container from floor to ceiling.
“Our clients and carers were brilliant and we’d like to thank them for their generosity,” said Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles.
Her staff asked for anything from Zimmer frames and beds to bandages and spectacles.
“We didn’t think we’d fill a truck so quickly but soon after we’d sent out an appeal, we were overwhelmed with all sorts of things,” added Camilla. “The response was amazing.”
Corinium Care adopted HIZ after Camilla met the charity’s front man in Gloucestershire, Sean Kelly, 55, who was born in Zimbabwe and left shortly after Robert Mugabe came to power.He was in Nailsworth to collect the equipment and get it shipped to Africa.
“This is great,” he said. “The situation in Zimbabwe is desperate and we need all the help we can get. We’re really grateful that Corinium Care is able to support us.”
Camilla added: “A lot of our carers come from Zimbabwe so this struck a chord with the whole company.”
“They have told us how desperate it is for pensioners who find themselves destitute, and we decided to give something back.”Corinium Care, based in George Street, specialises in providing 24-hour live-in care for the elderly and infirm. It has 800 registered carers on its books. It has recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Anyone who wants to support HIZ can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniumcare
Corinium Care Wins Business of the Year Award
Fifteen live-in carers take part in dementia care training
The one-day course, held at the agency’s head office in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, featured all aspects of dementia from emotional issues to the physical aspects of moving and handling.
Carers were given examples of what to expect from someone with dementia and offered solutions as to how to manage it.
The trainees were all registered carers with Corinium who welcomed the chance to refresh their knowledge.
“It’s superb that Corinium Care offers this kind of training – not all agencies do by any means,” said Jacqui Shultz, 55, from South Africa who has been a carer with Corinium for four years.
“Caring for an elderly person with dementia can be tricky for both parties if you’re not prepared. This course definitely helps build your confidence.”
Leading the sessions were Training and Care Manager Jeannette Pellatt, and Training Manager Suzanne Hathaway, with Managing Director Camilla Miles.
Carers appreciated the opportunity to meet up with head office staff in Nailsworth.
“When we’re with a client, we need to know that someone is there to support us, and the back-up we get from Corinium has been fantastic,” said Jacqui.
Award-winning Corinium Care considers training a vital part of its business: last year more than 200 people took part in courses on how to look after someone with dementia.
They included new and existing carers and relatives of people with dementia.
The incurable disease affects about 680,000 people in the UK. According to government statistics, the number is forecast to increase by 38 per cent in the next 15 years.
One in five people over 80 has a form of dementia, and one in 20 people over 65 has a form of dementia. Two thirds of care home residents have dementia.
Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, said that helping carers to communicate with their clients is vital for the wellbeing of both parties.
“People with dementia can often feel confused and incapable,” she said.
“If carers haven’t come across that before, they need help to deal with it. There isn’t enough training out there for dementia care – not even for doctors and nurses - so we decided to provide it ourselves. We feel passionately about it.”
Mrs Miles, who set up Corinium Care in 1995, added: “We have the opportunity to provide one-to-one dementia care and dementia care training
in a dignified and safe environment and to allay fears about what can be a very uncertain future for the client and their families.”
The agency has 800 registered carers on its books. It has 16 full-time staff in Gloucestershire, as well as recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.