Ever wandered round a hospital, past maternity, via A&E, through outpatients, along the corridor where they keep the coffee machines and past the x-ray department and ended up at the same place you started, wishing you had looked at the map when you walked in??? Well next time you are at Warrington hospital for an appointment, visiting a friend or looking for A&E after falling off one of the garden chairs you’ve bought your mother in law for her 75^Th birthday whilst modelling them in the office (Happy Birthday Mary – ahem), look at the directional boards which are situated throughout. Notice anything different?? YES, Fortunatus Housing Solutions now have some advertising space on 10 boards throughout the hospital and all the advertising on the board in A&E promoting our Unity Lottery. There are also leaflets available on four of the boards so that people can sign up to the Unity lottery. I’m made up! The more funds we can raise for our tenants via the lottery the better and Warrington is a big hospital with a lot of passing traffic!

Do you remember on my last blog how I mentioned the IRRV Performance awards and our entry in the ‘Excellence in Innovation’ award we have been shortlisted for? It’s for our App ‘Engage’ and I submitted the final application this week so I’m quite excited to find out how we do. It’s great for us here at Fortunatus and raises awareness of the app. I’ll let you know on my next Blog how we have done!

We had some great news too this week with Wigan Council. After a great meeting with them we are really hopeful that we will be housing more vulnerable adults in the Wigan area in the future. This is great news for Fortunatus and increases our profile in the North West. I am so happy and proud that more people who suffer with mental illness and learning disabilities will benefit from the great service we offer.

I also met with Amanda Speir at Compassionate Care to discuss working together in the future. I love developing business relationships especially when they are mutually beneficial.

Can I just point out that whilst all this incredible stuff has been going on with Fortunatus, I have crocheted a pram blanket for a little bambino who the stork will be bringing soon (not sure on the sex yet so gone for a beautiful lemon and white design). It helps me relax which I need to at the moment, it’s none stop!

I’m now officially on countdown for mine and Julian’s holiday in Corfu. I’m ready for a break to be honest but there are so many great things happening with Fortunatus I almost don’t want to go! These are great times but I’m sure that Julian will help me switch off at some point.

So I better be going now. Time for a pamper with my good friend, ‘wing woman’ and Charity fundraising manager Sara. I’ve treated her to a few spa treatments’ to thank her for all her hard work covering for maternity leave at the moment. She’s working really hard and I thought she deserved a treat. I better go with her though… you know… for support!

See you soon!

Catherine.