Care Professional Helen raises £2,000
Helen works as a Care Professional here at Home Instead Barnsley and we recently heard of her incredible achievements in raising almost £2,000 for the charity Diabetes UK as part of their Million Steps Challenge.
We spoke with her to learn a little more about this and asked her why she chooses to do it, year after year, in addition to her outstanding role as a Care Professional at Home Instead.
“It’s a very big challenge over three months each year (July – September) walking up to 10 miles per day, seven days per week”.
“It’s all for a great cause and even more so due to losing my lovely brother David at the age of fifty-three to a diabetes related illness.”
Helen had only lost her dad just three years prior to her brother, admitting that it ultimately made her realise that she, “had to do something as a way of coping and getting fit”.
Over the past three years, she has raised an incredible £1,800, walking over 2000 miles for the brilliant, leading charity for people living with diabetes in the UK.
Right: Medals that Helen has collected over the years from her fundraising, pictured under a photograph of her brother, David.
“I’ve actually lost over three stone and become quite fit as a result. My passion for walking and photography has just taken off and simply helps me cope better”
Talking of her role in the Health and Social Care sector at Home Instead, Helen cited how,
“Working in care at Home Instead allows my passion for walking to continue, as I walk around looking after my clients, my mum, and my own family too. I believe I make a difference and that’s what matters”.
Left: Helen pictured with her ‘Every step counts’ shirt, representing Diabetes UK.
“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. Ever since leaving school, I’d always worked in an office environment and so making the switch to social care wasn’t easy. However, I’ve never regretted walking into the Home Instead office after dropping my son at school and finding out more about the role of a caregiver.
I love talking to people, finding out about them as a person, helping them in their daily routines and putting a smile on their face. This job certainly does this, from singing with a client, to a walk in the park or helping someone get dressed, you feel so appreciated every day by your clients that it doesn’t even feel like a job anymore. I also have good work life balance looking after my clients, my mum, and my own family.”
Helen joined the team in Barnsley in 2014, over eight years ago now. In that time, she has proved herself to be an exceptionally caring individual who brings joy to all her wonderful clients, supporting them to live their best lives in the comfort of their own homes.