Wallacetown Gardens helps resident on his path to independence.
Enhance Healthcare is proud to celebrate the incredible achievement of Mikey, a resident at Wallacetown Gardens, who has taken his first step towards his goal of independent living by successfully securing a volunteer role at his local Cancer Research shop.
Since moving to Wallacetown Gardens in 2023, Mikey has been working toward his goal of living independently and one day working in his favourite store, GAME. Thanks to the assistance of some dedicated staff and the home's personalised approach to care, he’s already making that dream a reality.
Wallacetown Gardens is a purpose-built care facility with dedicated spaces for residents to practise essential life skills, everything from cooking and laundry to communication and confidence-building. But when it came to gaining real-world work experience, Mikey needed to step outside the home and into the community.
“We’ve been assisting Mikey for a few years now and we know how much he wants to live and work in the community,” said a member of staff.
“When we heard about a volunteering opportunity with Cancer Research through the VASA website, we knew it could be a brilliant fit for him.”
With support from staff, Mikey completed an online application and, after a short wait, was invited to interview, an exciting but unfamiliar experience. The team helped him prepare, practising interview questions and helped build his confidence before the day. As expected, Mikey did brilliantly and secured the position working in the shop.
“I work at the front and back of the shop,” Mikey said proudly.
“I like hanging clothes and putting them into sizes. I have new friends I’ve met there, and I’m always looking for Pokémon clothes!”
The team at Wallacetown Gardens continue to support Mikey every step of the way, including organising his transport to and from shifts using the home’s minibus. Since starting, staff say the difference in Mikey has been clear.
“It’s been really good for him. You can see he’s more confident,” one team member shared.
“He’s been getting on so well since coming to Wallacetown, and this is another big step on his journey to living in the community. We’re really proud of him.”
With his new-found confidence and skills, Mikey was recently successful in securing a place at Ayrshire College to study Creativity and Design, a course he’ll attend alongside his volunteer work, with continued support from the Wallacetown team.
At Wallacetown Gardens, and Enhance Healthcare as a whole, everything is built around the specific goals and ambitions of each resident. Whether it’s supporting further education, creating meaningful opportunities in the community, or building everyday life skills, the focus is always on helping people move toward the life they want to live, at their own pace, and in their own way.
Enhance Healthcare is proud to champion this empowering approach across all of our homes, helping every resident to find purpose, confidence and joy in daily life.
