Jill Ramshaw joins the Activities Team

Here at Yohden Care Complex on Hesleden Road we believe that the quality of life we give to our residents in the home is very important and our activity programme at the home is one of the best.  We are lucky enough to employ 2 part time activity coordinators and a full-time activity coordinator. Jill Ramshaw is our full-time activity coordinator at the home, and this is a new career to Jill.   

Jill came to us on 20th December 2018 after a long career in catering.  From being in school Jill loved to cook and bake and knew this was her chosen career.  She started off as a kitchen assistant for the council and quickly excelled in the role and was promoted to assistant cook.  This was when she began to realise her forte in management aswell as the kitchen and began a 3-year course in catering and hospitality to become Cook in charge which she achieved in 1992.  8 years later she completed her NVQ Level 1 and 2 team leader course and became a Catering Manager for Hartlepool council a job which she loved and having worked her way from a kitchen assistant Jill had a great knowledge of the kitchen and all jobs.  Sadly in 2017 the council lost the contract and Jill found herself unemployed for the first time since leaving school and in a unique position that she could think of where her next venue would be.  She had seen the job advertised at Yohden Care Complex as a Home Administrator and having such a caring nature she thought this may be a good inroad into the care sector.   

Jill quickly realised that whilst she loved working in the home the administrator job just wasn’t for her and the Home Manager at the time also realised the potential Jill had and asked her to apply for the role of Activities Coordinator which Jill jumped at.  Jill said “This is the best job in the world, I wake up every morning and I’m excited to go into work and see the residents which have become like a second family to me.  We have such a good laugh every day and seeing them smile at the activities we do just makes the day more rewarding.  I feel like my life has changed since working in activities, the job is so rewarding and so interactive with the residents I feel I really make a difference”. 

Yohden Care Complex have their own mini bus onsite so have organised trips to the Pub, Seaham to visit the Tommy statue, Dalton Park, Hartlepool Marina, Hartlepool Museum as well as singers coming into the home, arts and crafts, Bingo, coffee mornings, movies afternoons, Home baking, karaoke, chair exercises to name just a few.  Why not come along and meet Jill and the activities team (Sarah and Donna) and have a look around the home or enjoy one of our daily activities?