A social venture which offers care and employment opportunities for older people has won a prestigious title at the Living Wage Champions Awards.

Seniors Helping Seniors was founded in 2013 in Canterbury, and now has offices covering Thanet, Ashford, Swale and Sevenoaks.

It provides care for the elderly who need help to live at home with care provided exclusively by senior people with care experience.

It was awarded the Against All Odds Award last night at the virtual event hosted by the Living Wage Foundation.

The award was open to those who 'have shown leadership on the living wage in industries with high levels of low pay, such as retail, care, security and more'.

Christian Wilse, owner of Seniors Helping Seniors UK, said: "The care sector needed an overhaul even before the pandemic. For us, experience is everything and we have been willing to pay for it from day one.

“The average age of a care worker for Seniors Helping Seniors is 59.7 years. We pay well and we carefully support our carers in the flexible work they love to do.

"Paying people well and supporting them to do amazing work is not only the only conscionable thing to do, we believe it is the reason for our company’s success."

Laura Gardiner, director at the Living Wage Foundation, added: “Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, the living wage movement has never been stronger. The Living Wage Champion Awards 2021 are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the importance of a wage that truly covers the cost of living and the value this provides for workers and businesses, and I congratulate Seniors Helping Seniors on their deserved award.”

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