Aspiration Training has been working with Crossroads Care since 2013 working with over 35 members of their staff to start them on their journey to gaining a qualification in Care. We offer apprenticeships and Distance Learning courses tailored to suits employers in the care sector.

Helen Simmons, Registered Manager, has kindly provided us with a fantastic story, of which we are very supportive of.

Our Charity Crossroads Caring for Carers have adopted the telephone box in Powick. The adoption idea came from listening to a feature on BBC Hereford and Worcester, The Malcolm Boydon show. He was talking with a BT representative. Malcolm jokingly commented that he had a “quid” in his pocket and could he adopt the kiosk? As a member of the public, he was not able to do so but was told a Charity could. As we have to think “out of the box.”  I visited the studios and met with the “Lead Producer” of the show. I was telling him about Crossroads (and our history) and my ideas behind our Charity adopting the kiosk. He said the kiosk was on a CROSSROADS.

My thoughts, as Care Manager, are to use the kiosk to raise awareness of our charity’s work and hold recruitment drives “at the box” – but I need to make the kiosk famous first – anything to attract potential staff so we can help more people and their family- based carer(s). The kiosk requires some maintenance inside and out. BT have sent a painting kit and a kiosk maintenance manual (that’s my next project). I need to make our phone box special, loved and famous.

Crossroads Caring for Carers supply a service with added value – not only providing care for the person with care needs but also respite to the family – based carer(s) by giving them a break from caring thus enabling them to spend time on themselves. As a charity, we care for people, not for profit. Throughout the County, we work with several hundred individuals and their families. We have been operating as an independent local charity with over 35 years.

To be able to help further we desperately need to recruit more people who are empathetic and kind. We also need to raise awareness of our charity.

Our history – In 1973, the soap opera Crossroads Motel featured a storyline where the son of the Crossroads Motel owner had a car accident and was paralysed. His mother (Meg) had to care for him (Sandy) at home. Noel Crane, a man from Rugby, who was being cared for by his mother at the time saw the programme and wrote in, complimenting ATV, the programme-makers, on their portrayal of the needs of someone with a disability. They took him on as an adviser on disability issues and shared his concerns about the lack of support for people like his mother, whose life had undergone significant change as a result of his accident. ATV donated £10,000 in 1974 to set up a pilot project in Rugby with the aim of supporting family-based carers in a practical way and Crossroads Caring for Carers was born.

Actor Tony Adams (Pictured) who played the character Adam Chance in Crossroads Motel has kindly agreed to be our Patron.