On Thursday 11 November, more than 60 carers and care managers from across Suffolk came together for Ocala Healthcare’s first ever Suffolk Carer Appreciation Event.
It was a free event designed for people working in social care – with delicious afternoon tea, live music from the brilliant Adam Thomas, and a free raffle with prizes donated by fantastic local businesses.
Why we did it
The idea was born when our Director, Adam Storey, and Care Consultant, Hayley, were chatting in the office about just how tough things have been for carers – not just during the pandemic, but long before.
They began to plan an event to thank our team. But then came the realisation: it’s not just Ocala’s team. Every single person working in social care has been facing the same pressures, challenges and sacrifices.
We wanted to do something to show our appreciation – not just for getting through tough times, but for continuing to step up, every single day.
A heartfelt gesture
Special thanks must go to the team at Venue16, who generously donated the use of the event room completely free of charge – despite their own challenges during lockdown. They did it as their way of saying thank you to the thousands of carers across Suffolk and beyond who stayed on the front line of the pandemic.
Looking back at the past 20 months, it’s hard to believe what the care sector has been through. I remember thinking, on 23 March 2020 when the first lockdown hit, that we’d be taking the team out for lunch in June “once this all blows over”. How wrong can you be?
We couldn’t have imagined the loss, the pressure, and the emotional toll. So many have questioned why they work in care – whether it’s worth it. At Ocala Healthcare, we believe it is. And we believe that, finally, times are changing.
Signs of change
When I post about carer appreciation online, I often get replies questioning care pay. I welcome those challenges – because it means people outside the sector are noticing. They’re engaging. And that means things can change.
Take Venue16 as an example. They’ve seen what social care has endured and responded with generosity. If even 10% of the people commenting online wrote to their MP, maybe we’d finally see meaningful investment in care. Maybe there is a silver lining – that the pandemic has forced the country to take social care seriously.
Why we stay
But it’s not the promise of change that keeps us in care. It’s the reality of how rewarding this work is.
Is it easier elsewhere? Probably.
Is it better paid? Sometimes.
But is it more meaningful? Never.
Let me tell you about one moment that keeps me going.
I was working a night shift in a care home and helping a resident named Fred get ready. I’d never met him before, but he was gentle and softly spoken. After dressing, he asked how he looked. “You’ll be the best-dressed man here,” I told him – and he lit up.
Later, I was talking to Mary, who believed she’d been kidnapped the day before and wasn’t being allowed to see her husband. As she spoke, something shifted – clarity returned. She told me she’d been there for 15 years, and her husband had sadly passed away.
Just then, she looked over my shoulder and said, “Fred, you look nice today.”
I turned to see Fred, beaming. I’ve never forgotten that smile.
Moments like that happen every day in care. They’re small, but they mean everything. And they’re why carers deserve recognition, respect and thanks.
Still standing, still fighting
I said earlier that you stepped up when the going got tough – but the truth is, the going is still tough.
The vaccine mandate, rising COVID-19 cases, Brexit’s impact on the workforce, and a government that once called care work “unskilled” – all of these have made recruitment incredibly challenging.
And yet, when faced with the choice to fight or flee, you stayed. You stepped into the ring. You’ve taken some heavy blows, but you’re still standing – and you’re guiding the people you care for through it all with dignity and love.
A final word of thanks
It is an absolute privilege for us to have hosted this event and to stand here and say: thank you.
Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for your resilience, your kindness, your humour, and your unwavering care.
You are the reason we do what we do.