Norwood’s workforce has been praised for going the extra mile during the recent bad weather. Like the rest of the country, the Charity has had to cope with a week of blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.
In particular, its residential community at Ravenswood, in Berkshire, suffered 40cm of snow and continues to be affected by poor conditions on roads, pathways and car parks – including two fallen trees which blocked vehicle access to the site. A nearby golf course even loaned use of a JCB digger to help clear heavy drifts at the facility in Crowthorne.
However, all of Norwood’s residential services for adults with learning disabilities in London and the South East have remained fully operational throughout the cold snap thanks largely to the dedication of staff. David Harris, Director of Operational Services, said: “I have heard of many examples where people walked for hours through the snow to get to work or stayed overnight at our residential homes for several nights to ensure that shifts were covered. And during recent bad weather just before Christmas, a support worker from Ravenswood and her partner thought nothing of leaving home at 11.30pm to come to the rescue of a colleague and service user who had become stranded in their car as a result of an earlier attempt to keep a hospital appointment.
“Meanwhile, in London, staff braved poor public transport and icy roads to make that services like our mums and toddlers group at the Somers Children & Family Centre in Hackney remained open. In this case, older children whose schools were shut were also invited to come and join the fun.
“On behalf of everyone at Norwood, I would like to thank them for their dedication and generally going the extra mile, in some cases literally. All this has meant that we have been able to continue providing services to our residents in very trying circumstances.”
