Recognising Lisa at Sunnycroft care home for her fantastic cooking skills and going the extra mile

Naming and celebrating the stories of our champions of care  

This year, Person Centred Software hosted the Champions of Care Awards to honour our everyday heroes working behind the scenes in the social care sector, these awards celebrate some of the hardest-working and most passionate individuals! 

One of our incredible winners, Lisa Betteridge, a carer at Sunnycroft Care Home, won our Special Recognition Award and here’s her story. 

Lisa is based in Southampton and has worked in care for over 13 years; she is currently employed by Sunnycroft Care Home, where she has worked for seven and a half years. Lisa was recognised for the Special Recognition Award due to her fantastic cooking skills at Sunnycroft Care Home - she enjoys bringing people together with her food; whatever the type of dish it may be, sweet or savoury, it's sure to be a hit, nothing seems impossible for Lisa when preparing good food for the residents.    

Lisa makes the perfect ploughman's lunch and even makes fresh bread rolls from scratch; she also enjoys making Belgian buns and iced fingers with cream for the residents - everybody wants to try Lisa's cooking because it's so delicious!  

There is no doubt that Lisa goes above and beyond when it comes to her cooking; on one occasion, she baked a wedding anniversary cake for a couple at the care home. Lisa decorated the cake with a heart and fondant flowers and made a cake topper featuring their names to give the cake the perfect finishing touch.  

"To be honest, I'm not a natural cake maker, but I do work hard to create the best for the residents," said Lisa.    

Lisa continues, "I have a passion for growing vegetables too! We have potatoes chitting at the care home, ready to be planted into bags soon. We also have tomatoes, peppers, parsnips, carrots, cabbages, leeks, and luffa growing. I plan to grow lettuce, beetroot, cucumber, swede, radishes, spinach, runner beans, and strawberries in the next few weeks too! We never grow enough to be self-sufficient, and sometimes the wildlife gets to it before we do, but even the disasters are part of the fun!"    

Lisa's residents enjoy picking the vegetables to go with their dinner, and when it's time to harvest the potatoes, she asks the residents whether they would like to help; some just enjoy watching.   

"Even though it can be hard work and it's not always the most glamorous of jobs, it can also be one of the most rewarding jobs you can ever do", explained Lisa when asked what she would say to those who would like a career in social care.    

Lisa's passion for working with people made her pursue a career in the care sector. As the days went on, Lisa became more involved in the care home, and she started to enjoy it even more.   

''I enjoy making sure that the residents have the best quality of life while here with us," says Lisa.                                               

Working in the kitchen wasn't what Lisa expected, but after seeing a difference in nutrition and how it can improve a person's mental and physical wellbeing, she knew she was where she was supposed to be.   

"My desire to put my heart back into the kitchen has grown in recent years, and I have become passionate about opening it up to the residents, so they can come to me and discuss their likes and dislikes, as well as participate in planning the menu to make it feel more like home. I am so proud of the way we work together as a team within the home''.