Meet The Sandford’s festive heroes
While many families will be unwrapping presents and enjoying festive meals, dedicated key workers from Housing Plus Group will be spending their Christmas Day making sure others are cared for, safe and supported.
From carers and nurses to chefs, plumbers and electricians, these colleagues are putting their own celebrations aside to ensure residents and customers have the best possible Christmas.
At The Sandford nursing home, in Church Stretton, nurses and care assistants will be helping residents with their personal care and making sure their needs are met. Instead of spending time with her husband and their two sons, care assistant Agnes Makotose will be providing support for residents on Christmas Day.
The 40-year-old, who joined Housing Plus Group in 2022, said: “Working in care is more than a career for me, especially here, you get to know each and every person; their needs, their likes and dislikes, it’s more like a second family. The residents appreciate you so much, even if they can’t say it verbally, you can tell by their facial expressions and body language.
“It’s important that the residents know that someone will be there for them, whether their family visits or not. Sometimes family members may not be able to come for Christmas, but they know we’ll be there for their loved ones.
“On Christmas Day we are planning to sing some Christmas carols for the residents, which we’ve been practising and they’re going to have a Christmas lunch. I will miss my family, but I’m not working on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, so I will make it up to them and make those days special. Before I joined The Sandford I always worked over Christmas in Zimbabwe, so my family understand that there are people who need me as much as them.”
Care assistant Margaret Mwangi, from Telford, is also working at The Sandford on Christmas Day. She said: “Caring doesn’t stop for Christmas. They need us the most to make sure they are comfortable and not alone.
“When we work here, we treat the residents as our family. I’ve changed my plans so we I will be celebrating with my husband and our two daughters in the evening. My family don’t mind and it’s a special day with the residents and it means they don’t feel lonely or forgotten.”
Nurse Lilly Joseph, from Shrewsbury, is also working on Christmas Day. She said: “It’s in my blood being a nurse. My children understand that I have to work and I tell them about the residents, and I’ve even brought them to visit before.
“If someone feels alone at The Sandford at Christmas, then we haven’t done our jobs properly. It’s really important to make it a special time for them.”
Racquel Ricketts, from Shrewsbury, will be giving up her Christmas Day to work at The Sandford too. The care assistant added: “A lot of the residents’ families and friends will be joining us on Christmas Day, so we like to make them feel at home and welcome.
“But some of the residents don’t have family, so I open their presents with them and I’m someone for them to talk to if they don’t have anyone else.
“There’s going to be singing and dancing and activities, it’s going to be a jolly good time.”
