Hartlepool Business Awards 2007 - Service Category

It is only 2 years since Directors Alison Langthorne and Vivienne Watson quit their jobs with Barchester Healthcare to set up a business where they help patients who were once looked after in a hospital or residential setting.

Vivienne said, 'We were amazed to win because we are just two nurses with a passion to get seriously ill adults and children back into the heart of the community. To be given an award for just doing our jobs is amazing'.

Vivienne was General Manager at Hawthorns Care Centre responsible for over 100 patients and residents with general, neurological and mental health needs, Alison was manager of the Rehabilitation Centre caring for patients with high dependency nursing needs. It was the demand for outreach services which led to the two women setting up their own business. They now care for clients throughout the North East and North Yorkshire.

Alison adds, 'We have based ourselves in Hartlepool because this is the heart of our business. People always dismiss the North East of England and we need to demonstrate that businesses can be dynamic in this region. People have described us as a dream, but we don't think of ourselves in that way, we just get people to where they want to be, which is with their families.'