Northern Lifetime Newsletter

                                                             Issue 4, October 2025

Welcome to the fourth issue of our Newsletter. 

We appreciate that you work in separate teams, often remotely from each other, and so we'd like to share Northern Lifetime news with you via this occasional bulletin. 

It has been another busy and rewarding year, with some people facing tough challenges and some achieving personal goals, and we are very grateful for the flexibility, team spirit and dedication shown by you all in these challenging times.

And with Christmas fast approaching, we truly appreciate the super efforts of our support worker teams. It's a unique time of year, with its own special complexities and anxieties, and we'd like to thank you for helping make the client's run up to Christmas as smooth and enjoyable as possible. 
 
More Marvelous Milestones
Thanks to the drive and dedication of our clients and their support workers and families, this year has seen many impressive achievements. 

Several clients have been on holiday, some of which were first trips away since their accidents. We've also had clients win awards, attend functions and fetes, play competitive sport, and complete courses.

All of these are witness to the supreme resilience and determination of our clients, but also to the encouragement and hard work of their support teams.

 
The sound of Elvis 
       
Our client Donna has participated in a community play, and she met an impressive Elvis impersonator. Incidentally, I once met a (self-proclaimed) 'Hispanic Elvis' in San Antonia, Texas, but that's another story.

Donna says that her play "...was a musical about four different films and I was in the Home Alone and the Sound of Music parts. I really enjoyed working on the play and all my friends watched me", says Donna.

She is now working on a Christmas musical at her day centre next and lets hope that it is every bit as enjoyable. 
One for the Diary  

This year we are delighted to host two Christmas 'get togethers', for our clients and support workers. 

The first is on Tuesday the 9th of December for our clients living in the Sheffield and Yorkshire area, North East, and the second is on Wednesday the 17th of December, for our clients living in the North East.

Do please make a note in your diaries and let Gemma know if you will be coming along, by email gemmabradshaw@northernlifetime.co.uk, or call 07542 333 234, if you haven't done so already.   
 
Pass it on...

It would be great to hear from you


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My name is Richard and I'm the communications person at Northern Lifetime. If you have any inspirational client, support worker, or case manager stories that you would like to share, do drop me a line at richardgreen@northernlifetime.co.uk
 
The bear next Dore
 
I saw this unusual sight walking by the woods to the west of Dore in Sheffield. I've never been one to pass on the opportunity for a pun, and though it would look nice as an image for the website too.

The lovely Autumnal image at the top of this newsletter was taken by our Case Manager, Rebecca. We have over 100 pictures taken by us in the Gallery page of the website now, and if you'd like the chance for your photo to feature, please do send any local pictures that you have taken and feel may work to me at the below email address. 

So many websites use what are called 'stock' images - ones taken by professional photographers more likely than not using professional models. Maybe that's fine if you are trying to sell jewellery or aftershave, but it can't be just me who finds endless pictures of perfect and beaming models that have no connection to a company or its business, rather irksome.

As our outlook is so proudly Northern, client and community focussed, I hope that it feels more welcoming and relatable if we use our own pictures of places where we live right across the website. 

It's therefore been terrific to have been have sent so many great photos to use from our team. Thanks!

Andy in Ireland  


Our client Andy is celebrating his first trip abroad in years. He went to Ireland. 


'I absolutely loved it' says Andy.


He's no stranger to Ireland though, having lived and worked there for three years previously. 


Dublin airport is huge now says Andy, but other things hadn't changed, he told me, most notably how friendly the people are. Though he was amused by many people asking where in Wales he was from, despite Andy's strong northeastern accent.


Andy had a wonderful break and travelled with his support worker Matt, and although checking the weather forecast on the day before, which predicted lots of rain, Andy said that apart from a two-minute shower, the weather was good the whole time.


They visited Kilkenny, and the highlight on this trip was the pretty town of Waterford, with its lovely harbour. It made Andy feel quite emotional being back there he said, reminiscing about the old days.


A fan of townscapes and architecture, Andy did float to me that he 'would like to go to Bruges at some point too'. Watch this space eh. 

 
Pass it on...
We advertise new vacancies on the Northern Lifetime website of course, on the Support Worker Roles page. We also share any new adverts on Facebook and other social media, and sometimes on local noticeboards.  
However, nothing is better than a personal recommendation, and so a big thank you is due to everyone who has been sharing our job adverts on social media and with friends. 

It's challenging out there at the moment, as we all know, and finding the right people to join our growing team of support workers is difficult. So, we especially appreciate your help in passing on our newly advertised roles to colleagues and friends. 

Northern Lifetime Newsletter

Issue 3, December 2024
Welcome to the third issue of our Newsletter. 

We appreciate that you work in separate teams, and often remotely from each other as well, so we'd like to share news with you from across Northern Lifetime via this occasional bulletin. 

It has been another rewarding year, with some people facing challenges and some achieving personal goals, and we are very grateful for the flexibility, team spirit and dedication shown by you all.

And with Christmas fast approaching, we truly appreciate the super efforts of our support worker teams. Its a unique time of year, with it's own special complexities and anxieties, and we thank you for helping make the client's run up to Christmas as enjoyable as possible. 
Welcome to Rebecca, Terry, and Mark

Rebecca has recently joined out case management team. She came into case management following her family experience of litigation. Rebecca previously had a career in teaching and is highly skilled in organisation, communication and helping people to achieve their goals.

Terry has recently joined us full-time, bringing his huge experience of Occupational Therapy and Expert Witness work with him. In fact, Terry chose the name Northern Lifetime some years back when he set up the company. You can find exactly how Terry came to choose Northern Lifetime on our website - you may not have guessed it, but the name is inspired by the lyrics of a famous 1980s pop song. 

Mark qualified as a Learning Disability Nurse in 2005. He became especially attracted by the multi-disciplinary nature of Case Management, and now has considerable experience in the field. He is very focussed on the individual and is a great believer in the soothing power of cups of tea.   

You've probably seen our job adverts on Indeed and Facebook, and on our website's recruitment page. Do keep an eye out, as we currently have three support worker vacancies, in Penistone, Mansfield, and Doncaster. There is also a new role soon to be advertised in Rotherham.
Image Conscious

So many websites these days use what are called stock images - ones taken by professional photographers of professional models. Maybe that's fine if you are trying to sell jewellery or aftershave, but it can't be just me who finds endless pictures of beaming models that have no connection to a company or its business, irksome.

As our outlook is so proudly Northern, I hope that it looks more welcoming and relatable if we use our own pictures across the website. 

It's therefore been terrific to have been have sent so many great photos to use on the website. In fact, we have a Gallery page on the site showing the original images - before I had to alter them to fit on the screen. 
The above two pictures are from our Case Manager Rebecca, near her hometown of Penistone. They are ready to appear on the website should the weather turn wintry again. 

If you have an image that you'd like to send in, keep in mind that they will need to be cropped roughly in the same shape as those above.

Lifetime Achievements


Looking back over the last five years that Northern Lifetime has been in existence in its current form, it's impossible not to be impressed by the sheer number of milestones that have been achieved by our clients. It is testament to their resilience and patience, but also hard work and dedication of their support workers.


Achievements come in all forms and sizes, and acknowledge the effort that goes into make them a reality.


We have seen all manner of milestones and achievements, from a client beginning their accountancy studies, another passing their GCSE's, and another their driving test.


One client has chaired their first MDT meeting, while another has ventured back on a holiday for the first time since their accident, and several others have taken the massive step of moving into their own homes.


Crossing one of life's stepping stones doesn't always come with a certificate, but they can be just as important. On the music front, a client has taken up the kazoo, while another has done her first DJ-ing gig. Another client is losing weight by becoming more involved in cooking their own meals, while another has taken up going to the gym.


   

  Heather on her all terrain power chair                            Mary's still life painting of cut flowers

Heather's all terrain power chair was delivered in the summer and has revolutionised the way in which she is able to move about. So far she has been testing it out near and far, including at Monkey World in Dorset.


This lovely still life was painted by Mary earlier this year. Since taking up painting she has produced several pictures that have since been framed, proudly hanging on friend's and family's walls.


Noted, with thanks

We know how difficult it can be switching over to a new system - especially one that is so vital and complex as record keeping. 

Our move over to digital record keeping by using the Log my Care technology and app, has been a great success.


We really appreciate the effort that you have put into adopting the new technology and trust that in time it will become even easier and more useful.

 



It would be great to hear from you





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My name is Richard and I'm the communications person at Northern Lifetime. 
If you have any inspirational client and/or Support Worker stories, ideas of what we can cover in the future, or even an unusual hobby that you would like to share, please do drop me a line at - richardgreen@northernlifetime.co.uk

The lovely image at the top of the page was taken by our Case Manager and co-founder Ella. It shows a crisp morning frost tracing the outlines of wild meadow plants.