Belong Wigan

Gill has led the team at Belong Wigan as General Manager since the village opened in 2009. She is highly experienced and has worked in the care profession for over 25 years, starting her career as a care assistant in a dementia unit. She progressed to the role of Care Supervisor and then to Care Manager in 2000, working at several homes within the organisation. Gill was promoted to the post of Home Manager in 2003 and moved to Sherwood House in 2006, where she moved the learning and development strategy forward to prepare the team of staff for the move to the Belong setting and working culture. She holds the Registered Managers Award, along with a number of other management and training qualifications.

Lana moved from Edinburgh in 2002 to complete a nursing degree at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and qualified in 2005. She worked as a Registered Nurse for eleven years, as a Specialist Nurse in womens health and oncology.

Lana's goal was to move away from acute care into a social care setting and in 2016 she began her career at Belong Wigan, as a Registered Nurse. She went on to be nominated for the Good Nurse Award at the 2017 Great British Care Awards, before progressing to the role of Lead Nurse in 2018 and in April 2019 she was appointed to the role of Support Manager. Lana has since completed a Level 5 in Leadership and Management and remains a Registered Nurse.

Tanya joined Belong in 2012 as a temporary receptionist and developed her role whilst working toward a Health and Social Care qualification 2 and 3, progressing to the role of Senior Support Worker and later to the role of Experience Coordinator, with responsibility for the development and implementation of a programme of activities for customers living in the village and the wider local community. In 2021, due to the retirement of the village’s long-serving front of house manager, Tanya made the decision to move back to the front of house team to lead the front of house, administration and caretaking teams.

Local community champion, Charlene Frodsham, from Wigan, joined the team at Belong Wigan early 2021, taking up the post of experience coordinator and working alongside residents and colleagues to provide a creative programme of meaningful occupation via events, one-to-one and group activities.

Initially from a customer service background, Charlene's enthusiasm and cheerful nature prompted her to take on the role of community champion for the supermarket brand Asda. It was here that her talent shone as she organised community challenges and fundraising activities for local groups and charities, including those which provide dementia care and support for adults with learning disabilities. When donating board games to Belong, she was 'blown away' by their set-up, which far exceeded her expectations of a typical care provider. Upon learning about the vacancy of experience coordinator, Charlene was excited to apply, feeling this was an opportunity that she couldn't let pass by.

Taking a leading role in both these programmes, Charlene will be working closely with the residents and providing activities to inspire and delight them.

Sophie has worked for the organisation for over 11 years, starting her career as a support worker in the village households. Two years later, Sophie was appointed to the role of senior support worker and quickly progressed to the role of lead senior support worker, before joining Belong's home care team.

Sophie has completed a level 5 in leadership Management and in 2013 Sophie won the Excellence in Resident Handling Award at the Regional Care Awards and went on to the National Care Awards and won the National award. Particular outstanding features included her ability to empathise with residents in their own care planning for moving.