Nigel returned to live in Cornwall from Plymouth in January 2021. He initially stayed in rented accommodation whilst he waited for a place to become available at Miners Court, as he felt the scheme could provide the support he was looking for.
A flat became available in November 2021, and he hasn’t looked back. “Miners Court is ideal for me, as a person with Parkinson’s I need someone near at all times. At Miners, there are care staff on all hours of the day. They are brilliant, plenty of help and always have a caring attitude.”
Shortly after moving in Nigel was greeted by two of the scheme’s Miners Minder Volunteers who helped him to settle in as a new customer, introducing him to the various activities that take place at Miners Court and the scheme’s facilities such as the Day Centre.
After a couple of months, Nigel expressed an interest in volunteering himself as a Miners Minder and following a conversation with the Volunteer Manager signed up in January 2022. As part of his new volunteer role, Nigel initially started befriending other new customers who had moved in to the scheme.
Over time, the Miners Minders identified that customers wanted more activities in the evenings, and as Nigel has an interest in playing cards, he volunteered to take the lead on a weekly games night. As the year progressed, Nigel also got involved in helping with the weekly coffee mornings and various fundraising events.
His active involvement led to Nigel being nominated for a Miners Minder of the Year Award at the Customer At The Heart awards in October 2022. Although Nigel didn’t win on this occasion, it demonstrated the positive impact Nigel has had as a volunteer in such a short space of time.
As well as his role as a Miners Minder, Nigel has recently signed up to Coastline’s Customer Voice group, who have a voice in shaping and improving Coastline services through completing scrutiny reviews and making recommendations to the Customer Experience Committee. As a resident of Miners Court Nigel will be able to represent the voice of customers within Extra Care, and highlight their experiences and priorities. We are looking forward to having Nigel as part of the group in 2023.
Since Nigel has moved to Miners Court he has become an inspiration to other customers. He completes his role to the best of his ability as a Miners Minder and he supports the other customers through events and evening activities.