Pals who started care jobs together retire on same day
TWO ‘dedicated’ support workers who started work together as teenagers have retired on the same day nearly 40 years later.
Kathryn Smith and Fiona Fisher both began a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) at the age of 16 in 1983 – earning the princely sum of £25 per week plus their bus fare.
Now the pair, who care for adults at the Learning Disability Resource Centre, on Owens Farm Drive in Offerton, Stockport, have decided to bow out together, taking early retirement on the same day.
Mum-of-two Kathryn, who lives in Bredbury, started at Offterton House on a voluntary placement when she was 18. She was offered a paid job and never left.
After her YTS, Fiona completed a college course, worked at Treetops hospital in Marple and went on to provide respite care to those with learning disabilities. The pair, now both 55, were then reunited in 1990 when Fiona began working at the centre.
Kathryn, who is married to Stuart and has two daughters - Aisha, 26 and Phoebe, 25 said: “Over the years we’ve done everything together. There have been our weddings, having our children, being godparents to each other’s children, supporting each other when our parents were poorly and later passed away and now, we are retiring – we have done it all together.”
The pair say they are now planning a wellearned sunshine holiday together and are looking forward to becoming ‘ladies who lunch.’
However, they say they couldn’t bear leaving the service users at the centre completely and still plan on doing day shifts.
“I don’t think we could break away completely,” said Fiona, who lives in Hazel Grove.
Coun Keith Holloway, Cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care at Stockport Council, said: “Both ladies will be missed by everyone, not only those who attend but also the staff who have had the pleasure to work alongside them and I know that everyone wishes them a happy retirement.”