How shared values and community partnerships create meaningful opportunities

Providing good care is about far more than support. At Lilian Faithfull Care, it’s about creating places where people can connect, learn, grow, and enjoy everyday life together.

As a charity grounded in care, honesty, respect and trust, we are always looking for ways to widen our community and make sure our doors are open to people from all walks of life.

One of the clearest examples of this is our long-standing relationship with National Star, a Gloucestershire-based college and charity supporting young adults with learning difficulties and additional needs. Together, we are helping to create real pathways into meaningful work experience, where people can build confidence and explore future opportunities.

A shared vision of opportunity

Supported internships play a key role in this partnership.

These programmes give young people the chance to experience real working environments while continuing their learning at college. Students typically spend one day a week in college and three days on placement, gaining hands-on experience and building confidence in a supportive setting.

“These opportunities align closely with our ethos of opportunity,” says Suzanne Booker, Director of Care & Development.

“Everyone should be given a chance to develop and learn and just enjoy what life can offer. It’s about being valued. Whatever you bring to the table is worth something, and seeing people happy and growing in confidence is what matters most.”

Real roles that celebrate capability

At the heart of this work is a simple belief: everyone has something valuable to contribute.

Tanya Nute, Job Coach at National Star, works closely with students throughout their placements.

“We want to see proper, inclusive roles across the local area,” she explains. “Not token jobs, but real opportunities where people are genuinely part of the team. When employers take time to understand what support is needed, they often find these placements bring real, tangible value.”

A welcoming space at The Secret Garden

The heart of this partnership is The Secret Garden, our community hub and day centre.

For over ten years, it has welcomed volunteers and students on placement, providing a relaxed and supportive environment to learn and grow.

“The Secret Garden has always been involved in supporting people in the local community,” says Mark, Manager at the centre. “We’re incredibly proud of that.”

“It’s a relaxed environment, and the team and our guests are all very supportive. We’re lucky to have a real mix of people coming through… from former teachers and company directors to doctors and nurses… all willing to share their experience and support the students.”

Growing in confidence, day by day

At the centre, two interns from National Star, Daisy and Rox, are very much part of daily life.

Daisy joined the team in 2023 after an initial placement during her course and has since become a familiar and valued part of the community. She helps with daily activities, makes drinks, and joins in with singing, dancing and trips.

“I like all the activities, and I really love being on the trips,” Daisy says. Her first big trip was to Weston-Super-Mare last year, and she is now looking forward to a boat trip with The Willow Trust that Mark is currently arranging.

Even on more difficult days, Daisy says she feels supported. “The team here is friendly and supportive. If I’m having a difficult day, they are always there for me and show real understanding.”

Rox, who began her placement early last year, has also grown in confidence since joining.

When she first arrived for her meet-and-greet, she was very shy and found it difficult to speak to anyone. Now she regularly chats with the care team and guests, and takes part in daily activities such as quizzes, skittles and keeping score.

One of her favourite moments was during a Eurovision Song Contest activity, where she worked in a team of four, listened to the entries with guests, gathered scores, and calculated the average score for each song.

“The team here is so helpful, and they always try to include me in things,” Rox says. “They give me great guidance and help whenever they can.”

A positive ripple across the community

The impact of these placements is felt across the whole service.

Staff take pride in supporting learning and development, but often find they learn from the interns too… particularly in understanding different ways of communicating, problem solving and engaging with others.

Guests at The Secret Garden also love welcoming new faces, and the energy and presence the interns bring into the space.

It creates a living, shared environment where everyone contributes in their own way.

Looking ahead

As a charity, we are committed to continuing to build strong relationships across Cheltenham and the wider Gloucestershire community.

Partnerships like this one with National Star help ensure our homes and hubs remain places where people feel welcome, included, and able to grow in confidence and independence.