Meet Support Worker Becky who is helping connect over 55s to their local community again

Last year Revival launched a new service in Cheshire East. Since then we've been helping rebuild the confidence of people over 55 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new service was funded by Cheshire East Council after research completed by Age Uk found that 45% of people over 70 said they felt uncomfortable leaving their home after the pandemic.

Community Home Support Worker Becky joined the team last year. Since then, she’s helped customers rebuild their confidence by providing practical and emotional support.

She helps customers coming to the service with everything from home admin to connecting with community groups. Becky also addresses loneliness, provides wellbeing support and refers customers to specialist support.

Becky said she came to work for Revival after she saw first-hand the struggles of older people living in Cheshire. During the pandemic, Becky said she saw her own grandparents struggle and the need for support for those over 55s.

She explained: “Before coming to Revival I was working as a Home Helper supporting elderly people in Cheshire and I saw how hard it was for people trying to live independently at home.

“When you’ve lost your confidence or physical strength just doing simple tasks like paying bills or going shopping is difficult. People I would visit often felt like they were a burden on families by asking for help.

“That’s part of the reason I came to work for Revival. I wanted to help as many people rebuild their confidence to help them live independently at home.”

Becky says she's now settled into her role and is enjoying making a difference to those in need.

“Working with the over 55s is such a rewarding job. As a society, we lead busy lives and it’s so easy to forget the people living alone. They don’t have a support system or things that they can fill their day with.

“Since coming to Revival I’ve been supporting those people. I’m helping bring life back into their homes and their lives, providing support plans to help them rebuild their confidence and address the issues holding them back.

“It’s lovely to see the difference the support has on people, and I’m really glad I can help. The customers I’ve spoken to are so grateful for the service.”