Joe Pasquale volunteers with Helping Hands to support front-line care. BBC One Show shares Joe’s experience
Comedian Joe Pasquale has volunteered with Helping Hands Home Care to support with the delivery of PPE throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helping Hands had secured supplies of PPE and were in the process of distributing it to 104 branches across the country, when Joe contacted Helping Hands volunteering to deliver a handful of the supplies himself.
On Friday 2, Monday 6. Thursday 16 and Friday 17 April, Joe delivered the equipment to ten branches in and around the London area in which he lives, including Basildon, Chelmsford, Harlow, Chigwell, Dartford, Dulwich, Bromley, Barnet, Kensington & Chelsea and Highbury & Islington.
The PPE equipment that Joe delivered included hand sanitiser, face shields and high-protection FFP2 respiratory masks – vital equipment that is needed to protect front-line workers.
Joe’s volunteering support has been filmed by BBC’s The One Show and will be aired on Wednesday 22 April.
Julie Davies, Area Care Manager for the branches that Joe visited, said: “He was a very genuine, down-to-earth and friendly guy. It was such a lovely encounter for our branches, and it was something that made the whole team smile.”
Laura Baldwin, Care Coordinator for the Harlow branch, said: “It was amazing to have Joe come into our branch and deliver PPE. He was so happy; it really made our day. I am so proud of everyone here at Helping Hands, they all work so hard in supporting our customers and they were thrilled that Joe was going out of his way to help them, whilst they’re out delivering high quality care during these unusual times.”
Since 1989, Helping Hands has specialised in visiting and live-in care and is an industry leader in the care sector.
The company, which has its head office in Warwickshire, has a network of over 100 branches across England and Wales, providing visiting and live-in care support to people living with conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, and mobility difficulties.
Now in its 31st year and employing over 6,000 carers, the trusted home care provider has supported over 40,000 families since its inception.
If you would like more information on arranging care for you or a loved one, or are interested in becoming a carer, visit the Helping Hands website www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk or call 0333 414 3885 to enquire about care.
ENDS
Release date: 22 April 2020.
General information:
www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk
Further information:
Name – Rebecca Giddings, Brand & PR Marketing Manager
rebecca.giddings@helpinghands.co.uk
Photo captions:
Joe Pasquale ready to deliver PPE in his Helping Hands uniform
Joe Pasquale loading up the car for another delivery of PPE
Helping Hands Carer Cherrie Carter filmed by BBC
Note to editors:
Helping Hands Home Care has been providing companionship through to complex nursing-led live-in care to people across England and Wales since 1989 and is widely acknowledged to be the country’s most respected provider of the service.
As a values-driven family business, Helping Hands have worked tirelessly over the past 30 years to develop a flexible care service that places its customers at its heart. This is achieved through directly employing all of its care staff and training and developing its carers to deliver person-centred care in a dignified and respectful way.
The company specialise in live-in, domiciliary, dementia and more complex care in the home. Its training and ongoing mentoring programme has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care – the first and only home care provider in the UK to receive this award.
There is a network of regional branches, branch managers and care specialists to support and develop its carers and to ensure the level of service and care delivered to its customers meets its high standards.
Helping Hands is fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and in Wales by the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). It has always been fully compliant with their stringent regulations and is very proud of this.
In 2018, Helping Hands was recognised by renowned company reviewing platform, Glassdoor, as one of the UK’s Employees’ Choice Best Places to Work and in the Top 20 UK Companies with the Best Workplace Culture and Leadership.