Christmas came early for Community Care Worker, Glenda Caughey from Comber, who has picked up the highest accolade at the prestigious Heart of Peninsula Care Awards. These awards, hosted by her employers Peninsula Care Services, took place at The Stormont Hotel in Belfast and recognised the selfless work she does in the community. Earlier in the evening Glenda also won the category of Client Choice Award having been nominated by her service users which are vulnerable adults living in the Comber area.
Glenda joined The Peninsula Care Services organisation as a Community Care Worker on a part time basis as she had care responsibilities at home caring for her son who had cerebral palsy and a rare metabolic condition which he then required a liver transplant. For several years, she had the worry of waiting for that all important call that there was a match for her son but she always left her worries at home so she could be that all important listening ear to those she cared for. During the covid pandemic when Glenda was forced to shield as the main carer for her son she took on responsibility for helping her service users by ordering their shopping from the local Supervalu.
In each of her 5 years of service she has been nominated for Client Choice every year and in 2017 won our Unsung Hero award, which only shows the hard work and dedication Glenda puts into her job.
After the awards we caught up with Glenda to find out how it feels to win Peninsula Care’s highest accolade. Glenda commented:
“I am totally overwhelmed by the award, it’s such an honour to win such a prestigious award within Peninsula Care.
I really love my job and love getting out into the community knowing what I’m doing is making a real difference to so many vulnerable people and their families, and being a carer myself I am able to empathise with them all.”
“Peninsula Care were very accommodating, and I was able to work around my sons care needs and they bent over backwards to find the hours that suited me. Up until peninsula I couldn’t find a job so flexible to cater for his needs.
“I’d like to thank my service users, their families, our office team, my girls in comber team and finally my husband and son who often miss out on having me around on weekend events, holidays and birthdays. I couldn’t have done it without all your support.”
Director of Peninsula Care Jonny Cook stated:
“I am very proud to call Glenda one of my valued and hard-working team. She is a very caring individual and has been a huge asset to our team. Glenda lives and breathes the ethos of the organisation that caring is everything to us every day. I feel the judges made the right decision in awarding her the title of being the Heart of Peninsula Care. I know Glenda will continue to be part of the Peninsula Care journey in the years to come.”