A Canterbury-based couple behind the care in the community franchise Seniors Helping Seniors has won a publicity package worth £10,000 to help raise awareness of the life changing work it does for elderly people.
Husband and wife duo Christian and Sally Wilse (pictured) run the UK arm of the 20-year-old global franchise, a non-medical, in-home care service that matches seniors who need help with seniors who want to help and earn an income for doing so.
Their business already touches the lives of more than one million people each year in the UK.
Lisa Malyon, founder of Do PR, the PR training organisation behind the competition, says: “We launched the competition with the annual International Franchise Show and we were inundated with great entries.
“Seniors Helping Seniors was the one business that really stood out. The model gives both the giver and receiver of care a boost, reduces loneliness and also reduces the strain on the National Health Service in the UK - it’s a win, win for all involved.
“With this prize, the team behind Seniors Helping Seniors will be able to shout from the rooftops about the great work they do and let others know about the rewards of running a care business the right way for the right reasons.”
To win the competition, Sally and Christian had to navigate an application process that included completing a detailed questionnaire about their business and an interview stage.
Christian, managing director of Seniors Helping Seniors UK, says: “When you run a business that impacts as many lives as ours does, it’s a great feeling when life throws you something special in return - we are delighted to have won the £10,000 prize.
“The way our model works means we create lots of job opportunities for older people who may have felt forced to stop working before they were ready and may struggle to find local work to suit them.
“With every new Seniors Helping Seniors franchise that opens, the local community benefits through increased employment and more choice of great elderly care, all while alleviating pressure on GPs and local hospitals.
“The public relations support will be used to raise awareness of the work we are doing in Surrey, Middlesex and Kent, with a view to enlisting more people to join us across the South East and East of England.
“We envisage the prize will help us to impact the lives of millions more elderly people in the next 18 months.”