Hello from Bellcare Issue 19 August 2026
Hello everyone
Welcome to our latest Bellcare newsletter and a look back at 20 years of our time at Bellcare! As always, this newsletter is a celebration of the people who make up the Bellcare family – from our remarkable service users reaching incredible milestones to the colleagues who have devoted so much of their lives to caring for others. To our staff, service users and their families: thank you for being part of our journey over the last 20 years. Your trust, loyalty and friendship mean more than words can say, and we look forward to continuing to support our communities for many years to come. Carol, Ian and the Bellcare Team
Team updates Celebrating Carrol Smith on her 70th birthday We’d like to wish our wonderful Area Co-ordinator, Carrol Smith, a very happy 70th birthday. Carrol has spent many years supporting both our service users and colleagues, and her warmth, dedication and commitment make a difference every single day.
Carrol
Everyone at Bellcare wishes Carrol a fantastic birthday and many happy celebrations.
Wishing Catherine Wilson a happy retirement companionship to countless service users over the years.
After almost ten years with Bellcare, Catherine Wilson from our Penrith team is retiring.
We would like to thank Catherine for her dedication and kindness and wish her a long, happy and well-deserved retirement.
Having joined Bellcare in 2016, Catherine has been a valued member of the team, providing care, support and
Service user birthday celebrations We’ve had not one, but two incredible Service User birthday celebrations recently: Betty
A huge happy 102nd birthday to Betty, who celebrated her special day surrounded by beautiful flowers, colourful balloons and a lovely afternoon tea kindly arranged by the Bellcare team.
Margaret
We also wished a very happy 101st birthday to Margaret, who was absolutely delighted with her birthday surprises. She spent the day celebrating and enjoying the attention of her carers, also enjoying a Bellcare afternoon tea! It’s always a real privilege to be part of these extraordinary celebrations and to share in the lives of the wonderful people we care for. Happy Birthday, Betty and Margaret!
20 years of Bellcare under the Wilson leadership This June, we proudly celebrated 20 years since Carol and Ian Wilson took over the company – a milestone that gave us the perfect opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and the incredible people who have been part of it.
feels like a home because of the love,
Although much has changed over the years, our values have remained the same. Care has always been about people, relationships and being there during life’s most important moments. Reflecting on their anniversary, Carol said: “It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed. Looking back, we’re incredibly proud of what Bellcare has become and, more importantly, the difference our teams have made to so many people’s lives. “We’ve had the privilege of supporting service users and their families through some of life’s most important moments, and we’re grateful for the trust they continue to place in us.” The anniversary celebrations brought colleagues together from across Bellcare to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the last 20 years, while also recognising the dedication and compassion of the people who make Bellcare what it is today. Staff members shared messages of congratulations, with some reminiscing on their own journeys with Bellcare. Quinn Mackenzie shared, “Bellcare is more than just a company I work for; it
Carol and Ian
respect, and care you give to everyone around you. Thank you for everything you do and for creating such a supportive environment.” Kayla and Clare, two of our office staff members, said, “Carol and Ian have welcomed us warmly from the start and made us feel comfortable in our roles straight away. “Carol is kind, caring, and generous, always showing support and appreciation to staff. We truly value the positive and welcoming environment they create.” As we celebrate this special milestone, we’d like to thank our staff, service users and their families for being part of the Bellcare story. Here’s to the next chapter and many more years of caring for our communities.
A special service user spotlight: Margaret Lancaster and James McLoughlin This month, we’ve got a very special bumper edition of Service User Spotlight. We sat down with two service users, Margaret and James, to find out more about them and their lives.
Margaret
First up, Margaret Lancaster
Margaret is Workington-born and bred. As an only child, she grew up living with her mother and father and speaks fondly of them both often.
in my class!”. She primarily taught children aged 5-7, saying that she enjoyed teaching children of that age because they were “good fun”.
Her father worked in the Coal Board office, and her mother was a teacher, something that stuck with Margaret as she grew up, leading to her becoming a teacher, too. Margaret’s mother gave up teaching once she got married, focusing her time and love into building a home for their family.
Margaret also became a headmistress and continued teaching until her retirement – a real testament to how much she loved her job.
Margaret is very proud to be from Workington, remaining here for most of her life. She moved away briefly during her teacher training, which saw her move to Sunderland for college for two years, but she returned once she had gained her qualifications.
She also mentioned how her family often had visitors who were on holiday and how they would show them places around the local area, often showing places to hike and climb - “of course, that was when I was younger!” she jokes!
She loved being a teacher. When we asked her if she had to deal with any naughty children, her response was “not
She also loves the seaside and enjoyed visiting the coast, especially Cornwall and surrounding areas.
Margaret said she appreciates the company that her Bellcare carers provide “It’s always nice to chat and have some company,” she said.
Next, we have James McLaughlin, or Jim as he is often known. Jim is another of our lifelong Workington residents who benefits from remaining in their own home. He has lived in the town for 86 years, even playing rugby for the local league team, the Zebras! Jim’s love story is one that we have to share because it is so beautiful. “It was very romantic how I met my wife, Robina,” he shares. “I had gone to the Princess Hall Ballroom, which was very popular at the time. I was in the dance hall, and someone I played rugby with came over to me and said, ‘Would you give these lasses a dance, Jim?’ and I said, ‘Certainly!’
Jim
“I went over to the group, and there were two Irish girls from Northern Ireland who were on holiday. We had a dance, and we arranged to go back and dance again on the following Saturday night. Sadly, she had to go back home to Northern Ireland, but we kept in touch, and we fell in love, despite the distance.” Jim remembers fondly that it didn’t take very long for him to propose to Robina “It was 10 months after I met her - and 12 months after that, we were married” he shared. Robina had returned to Ireland following the engagement and came back to Workington to marry Jim and
moved in with him in the house that he is still in today. Jim and his wife had three daughters together, and he loved enjoying the outdoors with them. For family holidays, they always went back to Northern Ireland, where Robina was from. Jim spent 44 years working as an engineer for British Steel in Workington. After serving his time, he was placed in the inspection department and was tasked with ensuring that everything was produced to a high standard. He also moved onto the estimating department, where he calculated costs for materials, labour, and production.
He also shared that he was a governor at St Joseph’s School in Workington and a marriage counsellor for a local Catholic church. “I was very good at discussing the normal things in life,” he said, which he felt made him approachable and relatable to those coming to ask for help and support. Jim loves his visits from his Bellcare team. “I love people coming in with a smile on their face. It’s always good to have a chat with them, and I especially love having fish and chips every Friday!” We are so thankful for Margaret and Jim sharing their life stories with us – and we can’t wait to learn even more about them!
Joe’s Corner: 1. What is bladderwrack? 2. Scarborough is on the coast of which sea? 3. Who would use a “last”? 4. What is a pea souper? 5. How is ping pong better known? 6. What colour is the flesh of a kiwi fruit? 7. How many rings are there in the “Twelve Days of Christmas”? 8. The song “Hakuna Matata” featured in which Disney film? 9. Whooper, Trumpeter and Bewick are species of which bird? 10. What is the name of Dorothy’s dog in the Wizard of Oz?
Quiz answers 1. Seaweed 2. North Sea 3. Shoemaker 4. Fog 5. Table tennis 6. Green 7. 5 8. The Lion King 9. Swan 10. Toto
Current Vacancies Health Care Assistants Bellcare has vacancies for health care assistants who enjoy a challenge, throughout Cumbrian due to continued business expansion. We are looking for professional and dedicated people, who can practice or will work to practice with support, excellent standards of care delivery. We provide care in the community that can be complex and demanding but is always rewarding and interesting. Find out more: bellcare.co.uk/recruitment Don’t forget you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
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