A Rathbone apprentice is using the beauty skills she’s learning at night school to give old folks at a Northamptonshire nursing home a better quality of life.

Kelsey Donnelly currently works at the Shire Lodge Nursing Home in Corby where her duties include meeting and greeting families and organising food charts for residents – some of whom have severe dementia. But she’s been leaving the office to do another kind of filing! Because the Business Administration student has also been giving the old folks mini make-overs and becoming a much-loved friend.

“This is an important job and I really like it here” comments Kelsey, who also does some supervised feeding, “the residents talk to me about the past and show me old pictures. They like to have a chat and just need a bit of encouragement.”

Kelsey Donnelly

Former Corby Council worker Kelsey is about to begin a course at nearby Tresham College but is dedicated to her day-job at a nursing home that cares for 54 residents currently. Living independently since aged 17, her thirst for learning also includes gaining a driving license – as soon as she can!

Shire Lodge not only cares for old folks, it has also put many local youngsters on the road to careers such as catering and hospitality, health and social care and of course, business administration. Rathbone has a dozen young people training at the concern; and is now looking for funders to help create a dedicated training room where young people can learn, study, gain mentoring and even take exams.

“Shire Lodge wants to become a mini cottage hospital for dementia sufferers, but providing an even better quality of life for them demands highly-trained staff and that costs money” said Rathbone spokesperson, Peter Gibson. “What better cause to donate to than this? Businesses and individuals can help those nearing the end of their life and those starting a vital career.”