It’s been so long since we talked and I have so much to tell you all. Something exciting has happened and I am bursting at the seams to share some incredible Fortunatus news!! Remember I spoke to you regarding the IRRV Performance awards and how Fortunatus Housing Solutions became finalists in the ‘Excellence in Innovation’ category for our incredible app ‘Engage’? WELL ……. we won a special ‘Highly Commended’ award for our work on the app and considering we are a new company who are very small compared to some of the organisations who were finalists, this is an incredible achievement for us and it’s still sinking in! I’m so proud of what we are and what we do.
This award proves to me what a powerful resource this app is for our tenants and to receive this recognition from a well-respected organisation like the IRRV, is a huge compliment and means the world to me. We have worked closely with Capita Software Services and put a lot of time and effort into developing this app so this award is a great motivator. We are a forward thinking organisation and this is just one of many great idea’s I have for this company and I’m very excited for the future of the good ship Fortunatus ….and all who sail in her!!!
The awards were part of a 3 day annual conference that the IRRV hold and our app was showcased on the Capita Software Services stand which was great to see. There were some really interesting stands, exhibitions and speakers at the event and we had a great time meeting people and talking about ‘Engage’ and how our business works. It was also a great opportunity to talk about Mental Health and how rewarding it is knowing this app and what we do at Fortunatus, improves the lives of all our tenants and will continue to have a positive impact on the community.
Just before we headed down to Telford for this conference, we were privileged enough to be guests at the wedding of our great friends Rob & Tracey who got married at West Tower in Aughton. The bride looked beautiful, and it was a fabulous day. Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Fido and thank you for including us in your special day!
A few weeks ago, Julian and I were hosts for a few days for our lovely relatives Bev & Pete who stayed with us for 6 nights whilst touring the UK. Bev & Pete are from Australia and we wanted to make sure that had a fabulous time with us so we decided to show them some of the great things our region has to offer! A trip to Liverpool was a must including the Ferry across the Mersey, the Anglican cathedral and an afternoon in the famous Cavern Club. Home of the Beatles!
To be honest, an afternoon in the Cavern Club after all that sightseeing and several Gin & Tonic’s, I felt I needed some ‘Help, can anybody help? You know I need someone… Help… Can anybody ……HEEEEELLLLLLPPPPP!’
It was a great afternoon and I really think we did Liverpool proud. I hope our Aussie guests had fun. We also took them to get a really good view of where we live. For that, you have to go to ‘Billinge Lump’, the highest hill in the county we live in, St Helens (I suppose it’s our own version of Ayres rock!). From there, our guests could see 30 miles in the distance (on a clear day), spotting landmarks such as Blackpool Tower, Snowdonia, Manchester and even the Peak District.
Last week it was World Mental Health Day and Sara and I represented Fortunatus at an event that was held at Warrington Market focusing on this year’s theme of ‘Dignity in Mental Health’. I think it’s very important to get involved in these local events, especially as it touches on exactly with what we are all about as a charity. It’s a great opportunity for us to spread the Fortunatus message and thankyou to Sara for giving up your time and everyone who came to visit us on the day!
Remember in my last blog I mentioned my very talented friend from college, Cath Ford who came in to take photos of everyone for the company website? I also squeezed in a visit to her lately as it was the last day in her shop. I bought some great stuff from her for home and the office. She is still doing great work in the community and always has an art project on the go. http://www.cathintheattic.com/
So all these awards, weddings, sightseeing trips and events I often wonder where I get the energy. I think I know…. My mum and dad. They both celebrated their 80Th birthdays and they are a hard act to follow! We’re having some big celebrations for them including a buffet, a lunch and a family trip to Keswick this weekend. My parents are a great source of inspiration and with 160 years between them (their birthdays are only a week apart), they are always on the go…. And so am I!
See you soon,
Catherine xx
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