We are proud to announce our new official charity partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support. Having supported various charities throughout the years, we wanted to form a long-term partnership with a relevant charity in order to focus our fundraising efforts and do as much as possible to make a difference.
Following a consultation with management and staff, the decision was made to partner with Macmillan Cancer Support. It is a charity close to the hearts of both Hales staff and clients. What’s more, according to Cancer Research UK, one in two people will get cancer in their lifetime. It’s an illness we cannot simply accept and ignore as it will affect us all in one way or another. Training, education and support is more vital than ever.
Nicola Mewse, Hales Home Care Managing Director, explained “I, like many colleagues, know from personal experience the devastating impact cancer can have on people’s lives and we have always worked hard in Hales to support staff affected by cancer.
This partnership shows our commitment to further educating our supervisors and managers in the many complex elements of supporting staff and their families, as well as providing valuable additional skills for our workers caring for service users affected by cancer. Our goal of raising £10,000 for Macmillan is an added incentive in the partnership.”
As part of this new partnership, Hales Home Care are arranging for senior management, nominated champions from all branches, and People Services to take part in the Macmillan at Work programme. The programme consists of workshops, resources and advice to train managers to deal with cancer in the workplace. The workshops will help staff support colleagues and their families facing a Cancer diagnosis.
Nicola Mewse added “This learning will be shared throughout the business to all staff with supervisory responsibilities to make sure our support to staff is consistent and market leading.”
Hales will be offering training and increasing awareness throughout the organisation, which will ultimately help create a more accepting, supportive environment. The partnership will engage Hales employees, care workers and service users across the UK through a range of education and fundraising activities. The aim is to raise £10,000 by March 2020 in support of people affected by cancer.
Michelle Hutchinson Fundraising Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support said “Macmillan is almost entirely funded by donations and simply cannot support the growing number of people who need us without the continued generosity of the public and partners like Hales Home Care. We are thrilled that, with their help, we can continue to support people living with cancer to live life as fully as they can.
The money raised through the partnership could help to fund Macmillan’s community of over 7,700 healthcare experts and nurses across the UK.
Macmillan Support Workers coordinate the care of cancer patients who do not have complex needs and support them to feel in control of their own care. They are part of a wider team and work in close contact with Clinical Nurse Specialists and other specialist professionals – taking some work away from specialist staff, so that they can focus on the care of patients with more complex needs. They are often the first point of contact for patients, coordinating and redirecting patients to support for their practical, information, and emotional support needs. £522 could pay for a Macmillan Support Worker for one week helping people living with cancer receive the support they need.”