A Make a Difference Day (MADD) put a smile on the faces of people with learning disabilities in the Wilmslow area this week.
On Thursday, November 4th, and Friday, November 5th, volunteers from Barclays Bank visited a number of Wilmslow Supported Living Network (WSLN) tenants to help brighten up their homes.
WSLN is a Cheshire East Council Care4CE supported service, which provides flexible housing-related support and social care to adults with learning disabilities living in their own homes in Wilmslow, Handforth and Alderley Edge.
The initiative, which received an 'excellent' three-star quality rating from the Care Quality Commission in October 2009 and was especially chosen by a Barclays' staff member whose friend's daughter is a WSLN tenant.
Councillor Roland Domleo, Cabinet member with responsibility for adult services, said: "Barclays staff turned up at homes with paintbrushes and garden tools to undertake a variety of painting and decorating jobs. They also fitted window blinds and helped out in the garden.
"They were resplendent in their MADD t-shirts and WSLN staff and tenants were on hand to offer refreshments and support.
"I am extremely grateful to Barclays Bank and its staff who really made an effort to help the tenants of WSLN. Their Make a Difference Day scheme is a fantastic idea."
Many of the 20-plus volunteers from Barclay's Radbroke Hall in Knutsford also met with tenants beforehand to answer their questions and discuss their individual decorating ideas.
Clive Scollon, 49, of Knowle Park in Handforth, who works part-time at Sainsbury's in Wilmslow, used the opportunity to have his bathroom redecorated and was on hand to 'brew up' for the volunteers on Friday. Other tenants asked for help with maintenance of their raised beds, which are used to grow their own vegetables and roses.
For more information on Wilmslow Supported Living Network, call Care4CE resource manager Tristan Williams on 01625 374107.
