A New Year thank you

By Anne Thomas, CEO

2020 is a year few of us are going to forget in a hurry. To say it’s been challenging is an understatement and nowhere has that challenge been more keenly felt than in the social care and health sectors.

As 2021 dawns and, with it, the prospect of mass anti-Covid vaccinations and eventual return to normality, I would like to pay my own heartfelt tribute to all those who have worked tirelessly since March safeguarding our elderly in circumstances few of us could ever have imagined.

Speaking from the Cornwall Care perspective, that has required staff going the extra mile, being resilient, endlessly compassionate, working together and often putting their own interests second to those they are looking after.

I am extraordinarily proud of that commitment and would like to thank them – and all the families they have been working with – for their patience, dedication and understanding. It has been very far from easy, but their collective endurance has undoubtedly saved – and continues to save – many lives.

I would also like to say a huge thank you to all those who have supported us over the last year. From the amazing children who fundraised by walking and running thousands of miles to the many adults who have helped our charity by providing free staff meals, transport, accommodation and care home garden makeovers. The range of activities has been extraordinary and their results truly humbling.

Your selfless assistance is proof – if ever proof were needed – that adversity really does bring out the best in people. And that community isn’t just about living in the same neighbourhood, but about coming together when times are tough and creating a force for good.

We still have some tough months ahead. Hugs are a way off, but they are in sight and, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s surely that human contact and connection are more important than anything.

It’s what we’re about and what we aspire to.

Thank you again and Happy New Year!