Linkline

Welcome to Linkline - Winter 2008

We’re always delighted to publish stories with a feelgood factor in Linkline and we have plenty of those for you this issue, including those from our customers Irene Nicholls and Jenny Best – both of whom have taken on fantastic challenges which they have kindly shared with you. Positive stories like these are always an inspiration to others and we’d love to hear from others who are putting themselves to the test.

We’ve also included our usual product updates and news from across our Salts Medilink branches and we hope you find the newsletter interesting and useful. Please feel free to send in your letters, poems or ideas for anything else you’d like us to consider including in Linkline. Remember, it is YOUR newsletter.

Enjoy the issue and have a fantastic festive season.

Click here to read all of the Winter 2008 articles.

Salts comes to aid of Guyanese patient

You'll all be aware that having a good quality, well fitting pouch can make a huge difference to your life and it's possibly something that you've come to take for granted. In some other countries, however, the outlook for ostomists is often quite bleak as Jacqui Doran, a biomedical scientist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh recently found out.

Also a volunteer with the Remote Area Medical organisation (RAM), Jacqui travels twice yearly to Guyana in South America as part of their women's health team, travelling into remote mountainous, savannah and jungle villages to offer gynaecological screening.

Jacqui said: “Earlier this year, we saw a lady with a huge abdomen mass. We operated on her and removed a 23lb ovarian tumour as well as a secondary tumour that was attached to her colon which had to be completely removed. Our surgeons successfully created an ileostomy and although we performed her surgery for free, she now has to foot the bill for her ileostomy bags. In a country where the average annual salary is less than £800, this is not easy and there was only one ileostomy bag in the country that fitted!

“Unfortunately, her one and only bag burst shortly before we left and her family had simply covered her stoma with a towel, which had left her skin blistered and weeping. On her return to England, Jacqui set out to try and find suitable pouches for the patient and contacted a number of manufacturers to see if they could donate any.

Senior Product Manager, Maria Clifton said: “This story really tugged at our heart strings and we were delighted to have the opportunity to try and make this patient's life a little easier. We are happy to send a regular supply of pouches, scissors so that she can cut the hydrocolloid to fit correctly, and some instructions on how to care for her stoma and we hope that soon she will be able to start enjoying life again.”

Jacqui added: “I am so impressed with Salts for their donation. They were the only company to respond to my request and they well surpassed it by supplying hundreds of bags for our patient. I have email contact from our patient's nephew and she is overjoyed at having the ileostomy bags and has no problems using them at all.”

Lord Mayor drops in to Salts Healthcare

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Birmingham visited Salts Healthcare's head office in September to meet staff at the factory which is in the process of investing a further £1 million in additional equipment to allow it to step up its activities.

Councillor Chauhdry Rashid and his wife, Shafait Begum, were welcomed by Chief Executive, Philip Salt and his two brothers – Peter and Robert – the tenth generation of Salts to head up the company that has an amazing 300 year history, with the company able to trace its roots all the way back to 1701. The visitors were shown around the impressive offices and then took a factory tour, taking in every step of the production process for the range of ostomy products produced at the factory.

Philip said: “It was wonderful to be able to welcome the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress to find out a little bit more about Salts Healthcare. It was amazing how many of our employees he knew and said ‘hello’ to personally during his trip around the factory!”

Sarah settles in at Birmingham

Birmingham's team has been strengthened by the appointment of Sarah Coleman as a new Customer Care Co-ordinator. Formerly working in customer services for FedEx, Sarah said she was approached by a recruitment agency about working for Salts Medilink and as soon as she heard the job description she was keen to get the role.

“When I left my previous job I’d been thinking about returning to work in credit control but I heard about this job and it sounded perfect; it's certainly lived up to my expectations and I’m really enjoying it. It's a busy job with lots of challenges but I really feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile at the end of every day and that's fantastic,” she said.

Branch Manager, Rose Bailey added: “We’ve seen a brisk growth in business from the branch which is because we offer great products and a great service to match and we are delighted to welcome Sarah to our team.”

Salts relaunches killer footwear

Shuform is giving an entirely new meaning to the term ‘killer heels’, a term more likely to be associated with stilettos than hospital footwear.

The range, manufactured by Salts Techstep – our orthotics division – has relaunched the popular range, the linings of which are now being coated with particles of silver to help in the fight against the spread of infections such as MRSA in the hospital environment.

Salts’ Senior Product Manager, Adrian Priest explained: “Silver has been known for its antibacterial properties for thousands of years and even at low concentrations it has been shown to be capable of killing off more than 650 disease-causing organisms. While much is already being done in hospitals to combat so-called super-bugs, this is another important step forward in that battle. Patients wearing Shuform footwear during hospital stays will not only experience total foot comfort, they will also be helping to protect themselves and others against infection.”

The Shuform range includes a slipper that is designed for use following surgery when the foot is bandaged or swollen or where a condition prevents the use of normal footwear. Also in the range is a lightweight shoe which provides a firm sole and heel to aid mobility and is ideal for patients with painful foot conditions, an orthotic felt boot which has a wide steel shank in the base which allows for the use of additional appliances, and the unisex, multi-fit mediboot. In addition, Shuform offers a Comfort Shoe for outdoor as well as indoor use.

Climb every mountain

Who says that being an ostomist means that you can't reach for the skies? It certainly isn't stopping driving instructor, Irene Nicholls.

From Benfleet in Essex, Irene, who calls her stoma ‘Nigel’, explained how her current adventures stemmed from her regular holidays in the Lake District with a group of about 80 friends who enjoy hill climbing and walking.

When she came out of hospital at the end of November 2006, Irene was so weak she could barely walk and was about three stone lighter than normal but when she returned home, one of these friends, Jean, called round to see her and told her that she had just climbed Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. “She's a few years older than me, (I’m 57 now) and being quite competitive I thought ‘if she can do it, so can I!’” said Irene.

And that's how it all began. “The first day, I managed to walk three times up my garden path and each day I did a little bit more, went a little bit further... all the time thinking, ‘I’m going to climb Scafell Pike!’

“The great day came when I felt strong enough to attempt a swim;

I gave myself a target of four lengths and so was quite surprised when I managed to do ten. In January, I booked to go to the Lakes with my friends and then the ‘training’ started in earnest.

“When August arrived, I had returned to work part-time and off we all went to Keswick. I had a wonderful time; I didn't climb Scafell Pike, only because the group weren't doing that peak as they’d done it the year before, but I did climb Blencathra, which is the fifth highest peak in England and only 30 feet short of Scafell.

“I can't tell you how elated I felt at the top, you can see for miles and miles and it's so peaceful. I will admit that when we had got back down I sat down and sobbed, and sobbed and sobbed – so much emotion and so much energy had gone into that day! All just nine months after leaving hospital.”

But Irene's story doesn't end there. She's since climbed Mount Snowdon, raising around £500 for her local children's hospice, finally achieved her ambition of climbing Scafell Pike, and now wants to tackle Ben Nevis.

So how does Nigel like climbing mountains? “He really doesn't mind at all,” said Irene, “and he's very well behaved, (in other words my stoma didn't let me down on the top of a mountain. How embarrassing would that have been?) I’ve also taken Nigel to Spain for a holiday and he behaved very well there too. It took me a long time to come to terms with having Nigel for the rest of my life, but now I praise God daily for my health and strength, and realise that without Nigel I surely would not be here. It is now a fact of my life and I am not going to let it stop me doing anything I want to do!”

Irene concluded: “I wanted to take on this challenge for several reasons. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and to say thank you to all my wonderful friends who had supported me for so long when I was so ill. Above all, I wanted to encourage other people who find themselves in a similiar situation – never stop reaching for the skies because we can all fly if we really want to.”

Tracy Bowen joins Plymouth team

The Plymouth team has welcomed newcomer Tracy Bowen to the fold. Joining as a Customer Care Co-ordinator, Tracy previously spent 20 years working as a medical receptionist with the NHS and more recently she worked for the Child Support Agency.

“I’d started to feel that I was no longer making a difference through my work and this is really important to me,” said Tracy. “So when the job came up at Salts Medilink I was really keen to work here. I get a lot of job satisfaction from helping people and in this job, the evidence of that is clear. I spend a lot of time talking to customers on the phone and delivering products to their homes and often receive positive feedback from them.

“My colleagues at the branch have made me so welcome as well, as has the entire company, and that is really refreshing.”

Jenny proves she's still a water baby

When Jenny Best entered the cold waters off Dover early one September morning, she was looking to fulfil her dream of swimming the Channel. As an ileostomist, she was also setting out to try and change the perceptions held by many ostomists.

“I learnt to swim in the sea and I’ve always loved it,” said Jenny, who is from Tidworth in Wiltshire. “So when I had my ileostomy formed two years ago, after suffering with colitis for about 14 years, I was determined it wouldn't stop me doing the things I’d previously enjoyed. I also wanted to show people that if I can attempt a 21 mile swim, then other ostomists needn't be scared of going to the beach or a swimming pool and enjoying the water.”

Unfortunately, Jenny was unable to complete the swim and had to be pulled into the pilot vessel after eight-and-a-half miles when she started to suffer from hypothermia. “I was still full of energy and determined to keep going despite shaking so much that my arms and legs weren't functioning properly,” she said. “I was becoming increasingly disorientated though and the support crew knew they had to get me out of the water and warmed up. I was absolutely gutted that I didn't finish but I managed to swim for seven hours which is still pretty amazing.

“I really enjoyed the whole experience – the training, working towards a goal and proving to myself and others that having an ostomy isn't the end of the world. I’m not giving up – I’m planning to take part in a Channel swimming relay in 2010 and will definitely be doing some more long distance swims at some point although next time it will be in warmer water!”

She added: “I consider myself really fortunate – some people say they can't do things since they’ve had their ostomy, I believe I can do far more now than when I had colitis and I’m lucky to have a fantastic husband, Barry, who'll support me in all my future challenges.”

Jenny's swim has raised more than £2,000 for the IA. Well done!

More improvements to Confidence Comfort drainable range

Ileostomists who use Salts Confidence Convex Supersoft drainable pouches will already be benefiting from the improvements we made last year to the closure with the introduction of softer, flexible foam strips on the outlet of the bag. The positive response we’ve received to the new soft closure has led us to extend the change to our Confidence Comfort drainable range which includes our large and standard oval wafer pouches. So Confidence Comfort also now features a closure which is softer, more comfortable, more flexible and more user-friendly because it is easier to open, drain and empty.

Confidence Comfort are clipless, drainable pouches for the one-piece user. They incorporate a new anatomical shape; a thicker silky soft covering, an oval shaped wafer; and quieter films – making this our most comfortable drainable pouch ever. Confidence Comfort is available in a wide range of sizes including a large pouch with an extra large oval wafer that can be cut up to 110mm wide and 70mm deep and was designed specifically to provide extra security.

Confidence Convex Supersoft pouches, also clipless and drainable, are ideal for one-piece users requiring convexity. They incorporate a softer, more flexible wafer with a slightly shallower profile to provide greater comfort.

As with all Salts’ pouches, Confidence Comfort and Confidence Convex Supersoft feature skin-friendly adhesive hydrocolloid wafers that provide the maximum comfort for ostomists. The ongoing research by Salts to continue improving its adhesive hydrocolloids has been officially accredited by the British Skin Foundation and this is an amazing achievement as Salts is the only ostomy products manufacturer to have received this prestigious endorsement.

Senior Product Manager, Maria Clifton said: “The great thing about our range of pouches is that we have something for everyone, whether it's flat wafer or convex, large, standard or small pouch size, and options on wafer size with the large oval wafer. Your stoma care nurse, or a member of staff at your local Medilink branch will be able to provide more information to help you find the right pouch for you.”

In addition, Salts’ range of Confidence closed pouches has many of the same features as the drainable product, including skin friendly hydrocolloid, discreet anatomical shape, soft silky covering with soft weld edges.

Angela is driven by new challenge

A growth in business has led to the appointment of Angela Thomas as Customer Care Co-ordinator/Driver at the Redruth office.

Previously a housewife and carer for five years and having raised three children, Angela decided it was time to take on a new challenge. “I wanted to do something for myself and when I saw the advert for the vacancy, I knew it was the type of challenge I had been looking for. The majority of the job involves visiting patients in the community and having lived here most of my life, I’m enjoying getting out and about, meeting new people and find the work incredibly rewarding.

She added “I always come to work with a smile on my face and even after a two week holiday, I was really looking forward to getting back to work! “

Success at Science Museum

An open event held in Birmingham gave ostomists plenty of food for thought. Held at the Think Tank – home of the Birmingham Science Museum, the event attracted more than 200 visitors who had the opportunity to listen to a variety of presentations and have a wander round the venue exhibition.

Those attending could also check out the latest products available from Salts and chat with Rose Bailey and Sarah Coleman from Salts Medilink's Birmingham branch. A massage therapist was also on hand, along with Peter and Robert Salt, (Managing Director and Export Director) and members of Salts Healthcare's marketing team.

Local Stoma Care Nurses and representatives from the three patient groups – the Ileostomy Association, Colostomy Association and Urostomy Association were also available to meet and greet visitors.

Senior Product Specialist, Karen Dunstan said: “We had a fantastic response to the invitations which included an option for all ostomists to bring a guest and afterwards, many of them expressed their thanks for an informative day.”

New information leaflets

Salts has launched a brand new range of literature, written by the company's Community Nursing Team, to help ostomists – particularly new ones. They cover:

• Caring for your skin
• Keeping on the move
• Dietary advice for colostomists, ileostomists and urostomists
• Going places
• Stoma surgery complications; and
• Sex and relationships.

You can request copies by calling your local branch via our Freephone number 0800 626388.

 

Racing for life

After the team at Salts Medilink in Redruth took part in the Falmouth Race for Life event in May, they went on to enter the race again in Truro, in July, raising more than £100 for Cancer Research UK. Branch Manager, Gill Waller and Customer Care Co-ordinators, Anne Burgess and Sheridan Turner all finished the 5km route in the UK's largest fundraising event just for women.

Gill said: “We were really touched by the patients’ support and their very generous donations and we’re all looking forward to taking part again next year.”

Alison Roberts, who is a Community Stoma Care Nurse Advisor covering the Worcestershire and Warwickshire areas, also completed two Race for Life events this year.

Alison said: “I’ve been supporting Race for Life at Stratford-upon-Avon Racecourse for ten years to raise money for Cancer Research and have supported in two ways, either running and raising sponsorship money or by volunteering to be a Backmarker. This involves ensuring I cross the finishing line last and pick up any stragglers, lost children or injured runners on the way. The longest time it has taken to complete the 5km is two hours!

“This year, I decided to do both, so was Backmarker in May at Stratford when we finished in one hour. Then, in July, I ran the 5km at Redditch and finished in just under 25 minutes, raising £150.

I’m always so touched that so many women take part, some running, some walking, some very competitive but most just wanting to raise money for a worthy cause. Many know somebody who has had cancer but there are some that take part having recovered from the disease or who are still recovering from cancer surgery or treatment and this makes me feel very humble. Unfortunately, it rained on both occasions this year but this didn't stop anyone from doing their best.”

Colleagues clock up 40 years service

Double celebrations are taking place at the Plymouth branch with two members of staff celebrating an amazing 20 years’ service each. Branch Manager, Yvonne Hampton and Surgical Appliance Fitter, Linda Matthews were friends before they joined West Country Medical which was taken over by Salts five years later.

They met through their children, then just five years old, who went to the same school and it was the children that led to them working together. Said Yvonne: “We started out doing a job share so that we could organise child care arrangements around our work and this worked really well for us both. We were joined three years later by Customer Care Co-ordinator, Sue Jackson who is also still an integral part of the team and this just goes to show what a great place it is to work. We all enjoyed our work when we started here and we still enjoy it and find it very rewarding.”

But it's not just their own relationships that have blossomed over the years. Yvonne added: “We’ve been working with some of our customers since we began here so we’ve also formed strong bonds with many of them as well.”

During the last two decades, the team, which also includes Customer Care Co-ordinators, Gail Perrin, Lisa Lowden and Tracy Bowen, has seen many changes at Salts Medilink. “The introduction of lots of great new products has enabled us to offer far greater choice for our customers and this in turn has helped the business grow from covering just Plymouth to now looking after patients across the South West and South Coast and it is really nice to know that we are helping so many people in our region,” said Linda.

Buy Online from Salts Healthcare

Salts Healthcare has launched an online shop which offers a quick and easy way for people to purchase a variety of products.

The range available online will be continually extended and currently includes:

Simplicity Stoma Support Wear pants @ £12.01 per pair
The unisex boxers and ladies briefs are made from a lightweight and breathable fabric that keeps the body dry at all times and they benefit from antibacterial properties. Please note – this product range is available on prescription.

Novaped Sports insoles
Included so far are golf insoles (available in three models starting at £54.98) and football insoles at £39.99. Designed by Schein, the specialist insoles help improve performance while preventing damage to joints. These would make an excellent Christmas present for keen sports players.

LucRo Diabetic socks at £5.50 per pair
The seamless socks are designed specially for diabetics to prevent the kind of rubbing that causes blisters and ulcers, but they are great for any feet and are another fabulous gift idea.

Shuform Mediboot and Shuform Shoe
The Shuform range includes a slipper that is designed for use following surgery when the foot is bandaged or swollen or where a condition prevents the use of normal footwear.

For further information on the products available or to make a purchase, please visit www.salts-direct.co.uk.

Breakaway 2009 dates announced

The first ever Breakaway weekend – the UK's first adventure activities break devised specifically for young people with bowel and bladder diversions, and their families – took place in August last year. Held in North Wales, the event was a roaring success with children and their families enjoying a range of activities including walking, canoeing and a disco – all in spite of the wet Welsh weather!

Breakaway organisers Rachel Clarkson and Julie Bastin never thought they could better that first weekend, but they were wrong. The 2008 event, hosted in May at YHA National Forest, in the East Midlands, saw the number of families – including four-year-olds to adults – almost double that of 2007.

The third Breakaway weekend will be held on 22 May 2009 for three nights, at YHA Broadhaven, Pembrokeshire in South Wales. Designed by people who have extensive knowledge of living with bowel and bladder dysfunction, the programme offers a unique opportunity to meet families in similar situations, to talk and share experiences and to take part in fun and confidence-building adventure activities.

Stoma Care Nurses are always on hand to offer support and advice along with camp counsellors who have first-hand knowledge of living with ostomies. But remember, the main aim is to have fun!

The cost is £150 per person, which includes full board and all activities. Funding support may be available to families of limited means. Please ask for a funding application form.

See www.breakaway-visit.co.uk for more information and to see the forums and gallery of the previous years’ activities. Places are limited, so call Rachel on 07751 560013 or email break.away@tiscali.co.uk to book your place.

Midnight charity walk

Swapping her heels for trainers, Yvonne Hampton joined 800 women and took to the streets of Plymouth in the dead of night in August to raise money for local hospice St Luke's. Along with two friends, Yvonne walked the 13.5 mile route, starting at midnight and ending four-and-a-quarter hours later, still before sun up!

Yvonne said: “St Luke's is a well known hospice in the area and most people will have been touched in some way by the work they do. In my case, it was my father-in-law that spent time there before he sadly passed away. They rely heavily on donations and fundraising and I wanted to do something to help.”

With support from friends, family and colleagues, Yvonne raised a fantastic £125 for the charity. She was even given £5 by a reveller returning home from a night out. When he found out what they were doing, he told

Yvonne that his grandfather had stayed at the hospice and was keen to make a contribution!

Big day out rallies the troops

Ostomists from locations including Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, North London and Stevenage enjoyed a Big Day Out held at Duxford Imperial War museum in September.

Organised by Senior Product Specialists, Rachel Smith and Rob Simons, around 100 guests attended the event, met fellow ostomists and Salts’ staff, and had the opportunity to listen to presentations on the ‘History of Salts’ by Robert Salt (Export Director) and ‘Skin Care’ by Alison Roberts (Salts’ Stoma Care Nurse). They also heard an update on the consultation document in a talk by Caroline Redmond (Clinical Director).

After the talks, visitors had free entry to enjoy a look round the museum – home to one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits in the country.

Rob said: “The accessible location of the venue, in Cambridgeshire, meant we were able to invite people from a wide area and it was a huge success with those who attended fully enjoying the day. Feedback suggested they found the event very relaxed and informative and they loved the choice of venue which took them away from the clinical environment of other similar events.”

Colostomy Association news

By the time you read this, the Colostomy Association's National Conference will have been held, with more than 350 people attending the event at Reading University, and a lucky prize draw winner will be the owner of a brand new Vauxhall Agila (in excess of 25,000 tickets were sold).

Work has been progressing on improving the CA website and a wider range of information is now available. Why not visit www.colostomyassociation.org.uk and see what they can offer.

If you would like your free copy of the CA's quarterly magazine 'Tidings' please write to Colostomy Association, 2 London Court, East Street, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4QL, telephone 0118 939 1537 or send an e-mail to cass@colostomyassociation.org.uk.

What's new at the IA?

The IA continues to offer practical help and support to people with ileostomies and internal pouches. The IA Journal is packed full of interesting articles and letters; the forums on the website are a great help to those who can master the art of the internet; members’ meetings take place all over the country at 55 different locations and the association deals with all kinds of enquiries on its freephone line at national office.

A selection of interesting articles from the Journal has been put together in an omnibus edition which is available from the national office at the bargain price of £5.

Each year, the IA's younger members organise a “Young IA Weekend” which, in 2009, is going outward bound and adventurous. Taking the opportunity to try something new, the young people want to show that having an ileostomy or internal pouch doesn't stop them from doing fun and exciting things. The Young IA Weekends are traditionally friendly and supportive, giving young people the opportunity to step outside their ‘comfort zone’ and do something they may never have even thought about before. Over the weekend of 26-28 June 2009, they will be trying out a variety of activities at the brand new purpose-built YHA hostel in the National Forest, Derbyshire.

If you are interested in finding out more about this weekend, or if you would like information on IA activities in your area, contact the IA national office on 0800 0184 724 or visit www.iasupport.org.

Suppliers club together for appeal

Despite a generally wet and miserable summer, the weather was kind to the 17 teams taking part in Salts’ fourth Golf Day, organised by Senior Product Specialist, Rob Simons, to raise money for the Nottingham City Prostate Cancer Appeal.

So far, the event, which is open to Salts’ suppliers, has raised more than £2,000 for the charity with this year's money still to be counted.

The event, this year held at Fulford Heath Golf Club in Birmingham, saw many teams returning from previous years’ events and enjoyed the biggest team turnout to date. The eventual winners were a team called ‘The Muffins’ which was headed by Salts’ Financial Director, Ian Taylor.

(left to right) Robert Salt (Export Director); Ian Taylor, David Harding, Chris Shaw and Dave Stubbs (from the winning team) Amanda Salt, and Peter Salt (Managing Director).

Urostomy Association launches DVD

Prospective and current members of the Urostomy Association can get hold of a copy of a new DVD showing one person's experience of life with a urostomy, which includes useful hints and tips. The DVD features Pam Flint, partner of well known actor Dennis Waterman.

The Urostomy Association has also recently added three new leaflets to its library of information, featuring all aspects of life with a urostomy. The new leaflets, one for each type of urinary diversion, give the details of the Expectations of Care following surgery and enable the urostomist to provide their health care professionals a guide as to the follow-up medical requirements for someone living with a urinary diversion.

The DVD and copies of the leaflet are available from the UA Central Office. Telephone 01889 563191 or e-mail: secretary.us@classmail.co.uk.

Fire, art and drama

...It's all happening in Manchester!

The ladies at Salts Medilink in Manchester have been hiding a few secrets about their out of work activities but Linkline is now able to reveal all.

Senior Customer Care Co-ordinator Michelle Truscott, who has just returned to work after maternity leave, used to be heavily involved in amateur dramatics – treading the boards in various roles as well as working behind the scenes, helping with lighting and sound. “Before I moved to Manchester in 2004, I did lots of work with my local theatre in Northamptonshire,” she said. “I was involved for many years and probably burnt myself out a bit so I haven't pursued it since I moved but now I’m more settled I’m considering joining the Macclesfield Theatre as I love the excitement of it all.”

Michelle loves drama so much she even named her new son Oliver after one of her favourite actors, Oliver Reed. Her favourite musical is also... Oliver! Hollie Doyle meanwhile, is in the process of becoming immortalised on canvas. Customer Care Co-ordinator, Hollie is currently modelling for local artist, Philip Horrocks, who is submitting a painting of her for a BP portrait competition.

“I met Philip through a mutual friend while I was at a party,” she said. “He was looking for a female subject with grey eyes and asked me if I’d sit for him; although I’m quite self conscious, I volunteered to do it in the name of art. He's a very good artist who exhibits regularly and I can't wait to see the finished work in the new year.”

A keen artist herself, and a particular fan of Pre-Raphaelite works, Hollie is also benefiting from her involvement with Philip as he's giving her a few masterclasses in painting and photography so we may have a budding Bailey on our hands!

Jo Constable, who joined the team in May as a Customer Care Co-ordinator, has a few tricks up her sleeve as she spends much of her free time juggling, doing hula and playing with fire! She explained: “I went to a festival when I was younger and saw someone practising ‘poi’, which is effectively the art of swinging balls of fire around your body! I was so impressed that I started teaching myself. I lived in London for five years and while I was there I joined a group and started learning other circus acts. I’ve not been involved in a local group since I moved back to Cheshire but I’m always learning new skills along with my boyfriend Matt who also juggles and performs magic tricks. I don't currently perform publicly but I do go to several conventions each year because it's such good fun.”