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Helen’s Story

Helen Fish has been visiting Calvert Lakes since 2019 and recently joined us for our 50th birthday Open Day. She first visited Calvert on one of our Buddy courses where adults come to stay by themselves and we have volunteer buddies who provide support with gentle reminders, prompts and who encourage social interaction, where needed.

Helen now comes independently and enjoys meeting up with the friends she has made here, and making new ones. In particularly, she likes horse riding, baking at Christmas themed weekends and has conquered her fear of heights on the climbing wall! Helen also LOVES a Calvert hoodie and her collection grows with every visit. She delights in helping others and can always be relied on to get stuck in during her stay.

In between catching up with her friends, we pinned Helen down to talk about her experience of Calvert and why she loves visiting.

Read Video Transcript

Every time I come here they say, “Here comes trouble.”

Well, my name’s Helen Louise Fish.

I like to come to Calvert Trust to get away from Hexham, to get away from noise for a while, until I go back to reality.

It’s time to myself, a wee time away to have a relaxing time and make friends for when I’m here. See my old friends, see my new friends, see the staff.

So it gets somebody else to cook for us so I don’t have to do the cooking.

I’ve been coming here several times since 2019, and when I first came here, I had a buddy weekend where people can just watch, see how I do, what I need help with and stuff. And then they report back to my support worker to say I don’t need any help with anything, so yeah, I’ve come in on my own since then.

Well, I’d say horse riding is my favourite.

Well, I like baking if there’s like Christmas pies and gingerbread men from last year, we did.

I normally come at Christmas time, but this year I’ve come here three times.

I hate heights, but I’ve conquered my fear by climbing a wall halfway up, and they said, “Well, next year you’re going further up, all the way up to the top.” But yeah, I haven’t done that yet.

I like this place. It’s more relaxing and to make friends and do different activities. The other places don’t do very much activities. If I did go away somewhere different, I have to pay for two support workers to take me. But if I come to here, I don’t have to bring anyone. I just bring myself.

Woman in a buoyancy aid sitting in a catamaran
Woman on a swing in harness and helmet in our sports hall at Calvert Lakes
Woman on a bike in between two instructors, one on a bike and another with a cap over his face

Find out more about our Buddy Breaks

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