Tag Archive for: charity

Merry Maids Leicester Supporting Local Schools, One Clean at a Time with Thomas Estley Community College

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Merry Maids Leicester continues to show what it means to be a business with a heart that is committed to supporting their local community. This year, the team set out with a clear goal. Do more, give more, and create a real impact across the Leicestershire local community.

Their latest initiative brings that commitment to life through hands-on support for local education, helping create a better environment for young children to learn, play, and grow.

Strengthens Community Roots with Local School Initiative

Working closely with Thomas Estley Community College, the team volunteered their time, skills, and resources to refresh the school’s forest area ahead of the summer term.

The space, designed for pre-school children, plays a key role in early development. It encourages outdoor learning, physical activity, and imaginative play. After a full clean and tidy, the area is now ready to welcome children back.

The feedback from the school highlights the difference made:

“Many thanks to Merry Maids Leicester for volunteering their time, expertise and resources to spring clean our forest school area ready for the summer term. We are certain that our preschool age children will enjoy playing in this refreshed area and developing their physical skill and imagination. We look forward to working with Merry Maids Leicester again and are so thankful for their input into our Thomas Estley community.”

Trusted Cleaning with a Local Touch

For local residents, choosing Merry Maids Leicester means more than booking a clean. It means supporting a business that actively gives back to the same community it serves.

Customers can expect consistent, high standards with every visit. The team is trained, reliable, and focused on detail. Homes are cleaned with care, respect, and a clear understanding of what matters most to each household.

There is also peace of mind in knowing who is in your home. As a local business, the team builds real relationships with customers. That trust grows over time, supported by dependable service and strong communication.

The same approach seen in community projects is reflected in every clean. Thoughtful, thorough, and always delivered with care.

A Business Built on Care

For branch manager Rachel, projects like this are a natural extension of what the team stands for.

“We are proud to support our local community in ways that truly matter. Cleaning is what we do, but making a difference is why we do it. Seeing the forest school area ready for children to enjoy makes it all worthwhile. We care deeply about the spaces we clean, whether that is in our customers’ homes or within the wider community.”

Making a Lasting Impact

This initiative forms part of a wider focus for Merry Maids Leicester this year. The aim is clear. Build stronger local connections and support where it is needed most.

By working with schools and residents, the team continues to show that small actions can lead to meaningful change. A refreshed space today can support learning, wellbeing, and confidence tomorrow.

Merry Maids Leicester remains committed to supporting their community while delivering the same high standard of cleaning that customers rely on every day.

If you are looking for a trusted professional cleaner find out more by visit your local Merry Maids Leicester website today or call us on call on 0116 275 9055 or for a one-off clean, book online by clicking here.

 

Merry Maids Leicester Strengthens Community Commitment with Focus on Giving Back in 2026

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Merry Maids Leicester has announced a renewed focus for 2026, placing community support at the centre of its work across the local area.

Following the devastating impact of last year’s flooding in Leicester, the team stepped in to support local residents and schools during a difficult period. From helping families regain a sense of normality to supporting educational spaces affected by the damage, the business played an active role in the recovery effort.

This year, the focus has shifted towards building something longer lasting.

Supporting the Next Generation

As part of this commitment, Merry Maids Leicester has been working closely with Countesthorpe School to support students preparing to enter the working world.

The initiative includes:

  • Mock interviews to build confidence and communication skills
  • Practical business advice to help students understand real working environments
  • Guidance for those interested in starting their own ventures

This hands-on support gives students a clear view of what to expect beyond education, while helping them develop skills that will stay with them long term.

A Business with a Heart

For Merry Maids Leicester, this is about more than one-off initiatives. It reflects a wider approach to how the business operates day to day.

The team believes that being part of the community means showing up when it matters and contributing in ways that have a real impact. Whether that is supporting recovery after local challenges or helping young people take their first steps into employment, the aim is simple, to make a difference where it counts.

Rachel, Branch Manager at Merry Maids Leicester, said:
“We saw first-hand the impact the floods had on our local community last year, and we wanted to do more than just step in at the time. For us, it is about building ongoing support. Working with local students has been a big part of that. If we can help them feel more confident about their future or give them practical advice, that is something we are proud to be part of.”

She added:
“As a business, we care about people. That goes beyond cleaning. It is about showing up, supporting where we can, and making a positive difference in people’s lives every day.”

More Than Cleaning

While Merry Maids Leicester is known for delivering high-quality domestic cleaning services, its role goes beyond maintaining homes.

The same care and attention given to customers is reflected in its community work. Supporting people through challenging times, helping create safe and comfortable environments, and building trust sits at the core of everything they do.

This approach carries through to every clean. It is not just about the result, it is about the impact it has on people’s daily lives.

Looking Ahead

With a clear focus on giving back, Merry Maids Leicester plans to expand its community involvement throughout 2026. By continuing to work with local schools and supporting residents, the business aims to strengthen its role as a trusted and active part of the Leicester community.

For those looking for a cleaning service that values more than just the job at hand, Merry Maids Leicester offers a service built on care, consistency, and community impact.

To find out more visit your local Merry Maids Leicester team today or call us on call on 0116 275 9055 or for a one-off clean, book online by clicking here.

 

Merry Maids Businesses Awarded for Investing in Their Communities

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Two Merry Maids businesses celebrated winning awards for investing in their communities at the ServiceMaster Thrive in 2025 Gala.

Merry Maids in Inverness and Bedford were recognised for their dedication to supporting their customers and their staff, winning coveted Merry Maids Invest awards at the ServiceMaster Thrive in 2025 conference and gala evening.

This blog post has all the details.

A Great Place to Work

Merry Maids of Inverness, represented at the awards by Office Manager Andrea Morland, were awarded for their successes in making the business a great place for its staff to thrive.

Collecting the award, Andrea, who oversees the day-to-day running of the business, has united the team under her leadership since taking the reins as Office Manager last year, said:

“ I think it’s just really important that the staff like coming to work. Cleaning isn’t the easiest job, but I’ve tried to make work a very friendly place.”

To do this, Andrea has increased both the communication within the business and created more opportunities for teambuilding and fun at work, alongside, naturally, delivering an exceptional service. This includes creating a morning meeting where the office team communicate with the cleaning staff and discusses the jobs of the day and regular activities like a quiz and playing games to round off the week on a Friday. All of this has made Merry Maids Inverness a great place to work and a place where excellence can prosper.

“I think we have a very dedicated team in the office, and it’s thriving,” Andrea adds.

A Great Place to Invest

The owner of Merry Maids Bedford, Mercy Ikeji, has made headlines this year for the business’ unique dedication to dementia support, where beyond our expert and compassionate cleaning for those living with dementia, she and her team have offered free cleanings to those living with dementia who cannot clean for themselves and are finding their quality of life impacted by the disease.

Collecting the award, she said:

 ”The training for Merry Maids, and Alzheimer’s for all our cleaners has really helped our cleaners to understand how to clean for those with dementia in a caring way. Most of the people clean for can see that our cleaners are caring cleaners and that has really made an impact, especially with the charity cleaning, where we support people in the community with those kinds of needs with a free cleaning and give back.”

“I want to thank Merry Maids, and our brand manager, Vikki, for the initiative and partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, and my team for actually coming out to do the free clean to support the people we serve.”

Win a Free Cleaning!

As a celebration of Merry Maids Bedford’s first anniversary and our work alongside Alzheimer’s Society we would like you to nominate someone who is living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s/dementia who you believe deserves a FREE 5hr clean.

T&C’s – All Nominee’s must be over the age of 18 and live within the Bedfordshire area. The prize is non-transferable and non-negotiable. Entries close on 31st Oct.

Need a cleaner who cares?

If you or someone you love could benefit from dementia-conscious and expert cleaning services from your local professionals, find your nearest Merry Maids business, book online or learn more about our commitment to supporting Alzheimer’s Society today.

Merry Maids Sheffield Recognised for Charitable Contributions in Merry Maids Awards

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Merry Maids Sheffield has been recognised as Merry Maids’ Forget Me Knot Charity Champions for 2024.

Mike Fargher and his team at Merry Maids Sheffield have been awarded the title of Charity Champion for their exceptional contributions to our fundraising efforts for our charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Society.

This blog post has all of the details.

Merry Maids Forget Me Knot Challenge

The Forget Me Knot Challenge is an annual initiative started by Merry Maids in 2023 to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.

Our staff nationwide regularly clean for members of the public living with dementia and have been long-time supporters of Dementia Friends, which helps people become more aware of ways to support those living with dementia.

As we noticed we were encountering an increasing number of people living with dementia, whether themselves or caring for a loved one, we devised The Forget Me Knot Challenge to provide more ways to help by supporting Alzheimer’s Society and its mission.

The sponsored virtual relay tracks the distance covered by our business owners and staff as they walk, run, cycle or swim to travel the equivalent distance between each Merry Maids business nationwide.

Since then, we’ve raised a significant amount of money for Alzheimer’s Society, including £10,000 in the last year, all of which goes toward helping them provide help and hope to the over 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK.

Not to mention, over the last year, every Merry Maids cleaner across the UK has also attended exclusive dementia information sessions run by Alzheimer’s Society to recognise and bolster their knowledge of dementia, helping position them to provide informed care to the people we serve.

Charity Champion

Alongside our Forget Me Knot Challenge Champion, Mike and the team at Merry Maids Sheffield were awarded the Charity Champion award for going above and beyond in their fundraising efforts across both consecutive years in which the Forget Me Knot Challenge has run, through impressive donations, accrued through sponsored bike rides and the charity of their staff and customers.

The team collected their award at the annual ServiceMaster Thrive in 2025 gala and has taken it back to the office to sit in pride of place in their trophy cabinet as a reminder and motivator for this year’s challenge, which is already underway.

Need a cleaner who cares?

If you or someone you love could benefit from dementia-conscious and expert cleaning services from your local professionals, find your nearest Merry Maids business, book online or learn more about our commitment to supporting Alzheimer’s Society today.

How to speak to children about dementia

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How can you have discussions about dementia with young children?

As the school summer holidays begin, many families are spending more time together, which can bring both joy and challenges. When a close family member or friend develops dementia, children and young people may need time to adjust to the news and understand.

Alongside our charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Society, we’re working hard to support people living with dementia across the UK through specialist cleaning services informed by the latest research and a compassionate, expert approach to our work.

There’s no one ‘right thing’ to say to a child to explain dementia and all that comes with it; different children and young people will be reassured and helped by distinctive things.

In this blog post, we’re sharing the top tips advocated by Alzheimer’s Society that may help you speak to a child about dementia.

Explain the changes in behaviour

Perhaps there’s something new that the person with dementia has begun to do. This could include becoming confused about who people are or where they are.

They might feel anxious or frustrated when this happens. That could also affect their behaviour. For example, they might ask repeated questions or become agitated. These changes can be particularly confusing and upsetting for children and young people, so it’s important to talk to children about how dementia is causing these changes in behaviour.

Children might think they’ve done something wrong to cause the changes. Make sure they know they’re not at fault and encourage them to share their thoughts, feelings and questions with you. They might feel embarrassed about some of the things she does. Or they might feel bored or annoyed by repeated questions. Reassure them that it’s OK to feel sad, confused or frustrated.

E.g. ‘Grandma’s illness is making it harder for her to do some things. She might seem different or confused.’

Reassure them about changing relationships

The person with dementia may not be able to do the same things they used to.

Children could feel a mix of loss, anxiety and other emotions as they adjust to this. They might also worry about future changes.

Reassure them that the loved one still loves them and focus on what they can do with them. Emphasise the importance of spending time with the person so they can show them they care. By doing things with the person and talking with them, children are helping to support them.

Answer their questions honestly, using language they’ll understand. Don’t be afraid to use humour if it feels appropriate. Laughing together can help sometimes.

E.g. ‘Even if Grandad doesn’t always remember us, or if he says unkind things sometimes, he still loves us very much.’

Helping to manage emotions

While different children may respond differently to different reassurances, here are a few helpful statements to help explain how they or the person with dementia may be feeling:

  • Be honest but gentle: ‘It’s normal to feel sad or upset about the changes in Grandma.’
  • Provide support: ‘It’s OK to feel sad, angry or confused. I’m here to help you through it.’
  • Encourage questions: ‘If you have any questions or feel worried, you can always talk to me.’
  • Highlight the positive: ‘We can still enjoy today and make happy memories with Grandma.’

For particularly young children, using stories may also help them to understand the feelings and information surrounding dementia.

There are several books recognised by Alzheimer’s Society that aim to increase understanding of dementia in younger children.

Need a dementia-conscious cleaner?

If you know someone who is living with dementia, see how we can help to give them a better quality of life for as long as possible by finding your nearest Merry Maids business for a free, no-obligation quote on our services or booking online today.

Merry Maids UK’s Forget Me Knot 2025 for Alzheimer’s Society

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Merry Maids UK has begun our third annual Forget Me Knot Challenge to support Alzheimer’s Society. 

Alzheimer’s is commonly misunderstood as a natural part of ageing.

However, it is a deadly neurological disease that is currently the UK’s biggest killer, estimated to affect 1 in 2 people in the UK in their lifetime.

This year, we’ve once again partnered with the Alzheimer’s Society to help them provide help and hope to the 900,000+ people living with dementia in the UK.

Throughout 2025, at Merry Maids UK and now also across ServiceMaster Brands UK, we’re working closely with our friends at the Alzheimer’s Society to raise a further £10,000 as part of our commitment to supporting them in their cause.

We are also continuing to attend specialist dementia information workshops for our business owners and their cleaners across the UK to deliver dementia-conscious cleaning services to people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, making us the only certified dementia-conscious cleaners in the UK.

And as part of our fundraising commitment, our businesses nationwide are again undertaking the Forget Me Knot Challenge.

But what is the Forget Me Knot Challenge? And how can you get involved?

This blog post has all the details.

What is the Forget Me Knot Challenge?

The Alzheimer’s Society is represented by the forget-me-not flower, long associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia due to its impact on memory loss.

The Forget Me Knot Challenge is a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from our businesses across the UK run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each of our businesses, tying them together and raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society: creating the Forget Me Knot.

How to support us

If you want to support us, please visit our Just Giving page to donate online.

Or, if you’re one of our customers, please feel free to speak to our staff about donating.

Thank you for all your support!

To stay up to date with how we’re doing, stay tuned to our blog and social media channels over the summer.

Need a dementia-conscious cleaner?

If you know someone who is living with dementia, see how we can help to give them a better quality of life for as long as possible by finding your nearest Merry Maids business for a free, no-obligation quote on our services or booking online today.

Merry Maids Stafford Manager raises over £400 for Alzheimer’s Society through charity boxing event

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Ashley Weston from Merry Maids Stafford has raised over £400 for Alzheimer’s Society through a charity white collar boxing match.

There are many ways to raise money for charity. And though it may seem unorthodox to do so by stepping into the boxing ring, Ashley Weston from Merry Maids Stafford, Dudley, and Wolverhampton has joined Merry Maids Inverness’  Matt Cooper in taking part in one of Ultra White Collar Boxing’s charity boxing events.

These black-tie events are held in over a hundred cities across the UK, where volunteers like Ashley train for eight weeks to step into the ring and raise money for charity.

Ashley’s efforts contribute to fundraising for our charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Society, which we have fundraised for over the last two years through our annual Forget Me Knot challenge.

After eight weeks of training and a team evening out to cheer him on, Ashley had a great fight and raised £470 for the dementia charity, which will help them in their mission to provide help and hope for those living with dementia across the UK.

“All the donations, big or small, were so appreciated. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into these eight weeks of solid training to raise money for such a great charity,” said Ashley after his match.

Discover the value of a cleaner who cares

If you or someone you know would benefit from a professional and compassionate, regular or one-off, home cleaning service from the local experts at Merry Maids, contact Merry Maids Stafford on 01785 255299 for a free, no-obligation quote.

Or nationwide, find your nearest Merry Maids business or book online today.

Why should I get my home professionally spring-cleaned?

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The benefits of a professional spring-cleaning service.

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for spring.

It’s when nature washes away the cold of winter and freshens up for a brighter year ahead.

The flowers start to bloom, and the temperatures begin to rise. What’s not to love?

Preparing for spring also means it’s time to start thinking about your spring cleaning.

It may not always be pleasant, but the practice of getting down and dirty to clear out the clutter and the cobwebs of the past year is a vital part of the springtime.

Though the adage often cited is ‘if you want a job done properly, do it yourself,’ we’re here to tell you there is another way.

In this blog post, our cleaning experts walk you through the benefits of hiring a professional cleaning service for your spring cleaning.

What’s involved in spring cleaning?

Spring cleans are a deeper and more comprehensive cleaning than a regular maintenance clean and are all about clearing out the house at a deeper level to prepare for the year ahead.

Regular cleaning keeps your home in top condition, while deep cleaning gives that extra oomph and sparkle to make your home truly SHINE.

Our expert deep and spring cleans are ideal when moving in or out of a property, preparing your home to sell, having the in-laws visiting, in the aftermath of building or renovation works or needing a complete freshen-up.

They can include:
  • Cleaning out kitchen cupboards
  • Vacuuming curtains
  • Cleaning inside windows
  • Cleaning inside and or defrosting fridges and freezers
  • Washing internal doors and window frames
  • Moving heavier furniture to clean behind (where possible)

How do the professionals spring clean your home?

Professional cleaning services like those at Merry Maids use experienced professionals trained to deliver excellent-value home cleaning with a tried and tested methodology and products to produce the best results.

On every visit, your Merry Maids team will dust, wash, sanitise and vacuum your home using our equipment and specially formulated products.

We operate a strict cleaning process that utilises coloured cloths for different areas of the home to avoid cross-contamination.

All our maids are trained in Health and Safety regulations and procedures* to use our products and equipment

*Practices may vary by area due to area-specific considerations.

How much does it cost to have my home professionally cleaned?

There is no standard pricing index used to determine domestic cleaning service fees.

Some businesses charge by the hour, while others will charge for the scope of the cleaning involved.

Either way, professional cleaning services will determine their prices based on the following factors:

  1. Size
  2. Layout and number of rooms
  3. Style of home
  4. Number of residents
  5. Factoring of children and pets
  6. Frequency of cleaning
  7. Location and travel distance from business location

To see the value of professional spring-cleaning services in your area, contact your nearest Merry Maids business for a free, no-obligation quotation.

Why pay when you can do it yourself, you ask.

We’ll tell you…

  1. Professional spring cleaning saves you time and effort

There’s no doubt about it… spring cleaning is a massive undertaking.

Especially if you’re already juggling family and childcare responsibilities, work, and the basics like socialisation and a good amount of rest.

Whatever your idea is of time well spent, we know it doesn’t involve doing the cleaning.

Entrusting your spring cleaning to professionals can save you hours of effort and give you time to focus on what matters most.

  1. The bespoke and professional touch

At Merry Maids, we love to clean. It’s what we do.

Over our 30 years of delivering home cleaning expertise, we have refined the experience had by our customers to a fine art.

We know that each home and each individual we clean for is unique.

So, we go above and beyond to ensure you get the clean you deserve, not just the clean you expect, and work with you to understand the specific needs of you and your home and work tirelessly to ensure that you’re more than happy with gleaming results – at a time that suits you.

Professional cleaning staff like ours are trained with the latest (and often exclusive) products, tools, and best practices to make every room in the house sparkle.

  1. Professional spring cleaning is good for your health

Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefit, a good spring cleaning is also good for your health!

According to Verywell Mind, a cluttered and dirty environment can be harmful to your mental health, as it has been scientifically linked to higher rates of stress, depression and anxiety, as well as decreased rates of focus.

In addition, studies have shown that having a clean home typically is the mark of healthier inhabitants.

Cleanliness in the home has even been found to be a better predictor of good health for the residents than the walkability of its neighbourhood!

Cleaning can also improve the air quality of your home.

This is extra vital in the spring as the winter often involves more time spent inside with less fresh air in the home – causing more dust on the property.

The equipment used by professional cleaners is designed to eliminate harmful dust in the home and can benefit your health and air quality.

  1. Professional support with additional health requirements

We know that people aren’t always able to clean for themselves.

Following our successful Forget Me Knot Challenge last year – where our businesses across the UK raised over £4000 for the Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends in a matter of weeks – Merry Maids UK have this year become an official partner in aid of Alzheimer’s Society.

At Merry Maids, our staff understand the specific requirements of the over 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and ensure their homes are clean, healthy places for them to live, maintained by friendly, local people who support them with any additional requirements that come with dementia and other conditions – even if that means being someone to make a cup of tea and have a chat with.

Why hire Merry Maids to spring clean your home?

Put the spring back in your cleaning with Merry Maids.

The springtime is for enjoying, not cleaning.

Get a cleaner, fresher home faster and reclaim your free time with the expert help of your local cleaning professionals.

Are you tired of spending your free time hunched over to clean cobwebbed corners rather than enjoying the sunshine?

Your springtime is sacred.

Booking your spring cleaning with your local professionals now could be the saving grace you’ve been waiting for.

At Merry Maids, we’ve been experts in home cleaning for over 30 years, providing professional and bespoke services as one-off, regular or deep cleans and taking the hassle out of your spring cleaning.

Naturally, you might not love cleaning, but we do. It’s what we do best!

Contact Us

To start saving time and energy on your spring cleaning, book your spring cleaning with the experts at Merry Maids now by finding your nearest business or booking online today.

Forget Me Knot Challenge Champion: Mike Fargher from Merry Maids Sheffield

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Why Mike Fargher from Merry Maids of Sheffield joined the Forget Me Knot Challenge and helped us raise over £4,000 for Dementia charities.

The Forget Me Knot Challenge is an annual, sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from Merry Maids businesses across the UK run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each Merry Maids UK business to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.

Last year, the challenge was a huge success, raising over £4,000 that will support Alzheimer’s Society to continue to aid those living with dementia in the UK (currently estimated to be over 900,000 people.)

Mike Fargher of Merry Maids in Sheffield and South Yorkshire racked up 1186 miles and raised over his £2,000 pledge target.

Goals and Dementia History

Mike’s Merry Maids business has had many encounters with dementia over the years.

“We have some long-term clients that did not have dementia when we started to clean for them but sadly now have it,” he says.

“We also take on new clients where they, and their families, wish to remain in their own homes and, with the support of ourselves and other outside agencies, can do so.”

“Sometimes a client wants to chat over a cup of tea, to tell you about their life, family and other interests. The Maids may have heard the same stories several times but will listen as if it was the first time they heard it.”

Mike got back into cycling during lockdown after purchasing an electric bike.

So, he knew, when faced with the Forget Me Knot Challenge, that this would be his way to meet it.

“I try to cycle 25-30 km at least twice during weekdays and have also recently purchased a road bike for use at the weekends,” he says.

He also knew the challenge would be perfect to incorporate into the cycling holiday he had been dreaming of.

Mike’s Mileage

The trip was a week’s cycling around seven islands off the coast near Split. From Brac to Stari, Grad, Orebic, Korcula, Mljet, Hvar, and Solta.

“The trip was fantastic,” he says.

Mike was part of a group of 15 cyclists from around the globe who completed a week of cycling under the guidance of a Croatian guide and a crew of five on a boat named the MV Leonardo.

Some (Literal) Highs

The days followed a routine to ensure mileage was met.

Mike says the seven days were filled with expansive views, “good food, weather and plenty of excellent cycling routes.”

After breakfast each day, the bikes would be unloaded off the boat at one end of an island, and the group would set off to complete between 20km and 55 km.

This included literal highs with “many challenging hill-climbs, with ascends as high as 800 meters.”

By lunchtime, the group would have completed the day’s route and would be met by their boat & crew at the other end of the island.

Then, bikes were loaded back onboard for lunch whilst the boat made its way to a port where the afternoons and evenings were spent exploring and relaxing after a hard day’s work.

This meant that in one week, the group completed around 280 km.

Final results

As part of Mike’s pledge, he also completed a further 720 km cycling over the summer (at £1 per kilometre).

Much of his donations were also made by family, friends and people he met on his cycling journeys.

A further £1,000 was raised from a Google review campaign, in which each new review added £25 to the funds.

A huge well done to Mike for all of his efforts and for making such a massive impact in fundraising to support those in need.

Learn more

To learn more about Merry Maids UK and our work with the Alzheimer’s Society, call 0800 021 3072.

If you’re in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire areas, call Mike and his team today on 0114 272 2655.

If you or someone you know would benefit from a professional and compassionate, regular or one-off, home cleaning service from the dementia friends at Merry Maids UK, find your nearest Merry Maids business or visit our online shop today.

Merry Maids Forget Me Knot 2024: Angela’s story

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Angela shares her family history of dementia.

At Merry Maids UK, our teams nationwide are undertaking our second annual Forget Me Knot Challenge as part of our partnership with Alzheimer’s Society.

This is a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from Merry Maids businesses across the UK run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each Merry Maids UK business, tying them together and raising funds for Dementia Friends/ Alzheimer’s Society: creating the Forget Me Knot.

Last year, as part of the challenge, we shared the story of Angela from Merry Maids Fylde, Blackpool and Preston, who had a long history with the disease, which has impacted both her parents and mother-in-law.

Angela has since left Merry Maids but has permitted us to keep sharing her story to raise awareness of the reality of living with dementia.

Angela’s Story

In a touching video on our YouTube channel, Angela opened up about her experience.

“I’m doing the Forget Me Knot challenge because I’ve been through dementia experiences three times so far, and I’m just about to go through my fourth with my dad,” she says.

The conditions that Angela and her family have faced have varied.

From Alzheimer’s to frontal temporal and vascular dementia, the experiences and maladies were “completely different” each time.

“It’s devastating,” she says. “The person you once knew changes into somebody else.”

“They don’t die… straight away. It’s a long process. But they change. They’re unrecognisable as the person you once knew.”

Why Supporting Alzheimer’s Society Matters

Angela describes the experience and how frightening it is, particularly in the early stages, where the family had little information about what was happening to their loved ones.

“You need to talk to people,” she says. “You need people to help you, so you haven’t got to be afraid to ask for help.”

Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends do just this.

They are there to support and inform members of the public about Alzheimer’s and its varying forms so that we can all be prepared should we encounter the disease.

Dementia Advisers from Alzheimer’s Society provide critical support to people throughout their experiences with dementia, allowing people living with the condition and their carers to access expert support.

Our support means they can invest in ground-breaking research into better ways of treating and caring for people with dementia.

Dementia Friends, as a subset of Alzheimer’s Society, trains people and businesses like ours to interact with people with dementia.

At Merry Maids UK, we often serve members of the public living with dementia and ensure that through Dementia Friends, our staff are trained to provide care and support while cleaning their homes – as they often cannot do it for themselves.

Whether making them a cup of tea or being a friendly and recognisable face, there are many ways to be there for those who need it.

As Angela says:

“You have to be kind to one another. You have to talk. Don’t bottle things up, and listen.

“Listen to the person who is ill because they are just as confused as you are.”

“It’s really important that we help them to feel as normal as possible for as long as possible. We have to try and find some kind of way of making this illness easier to live with.”

How you can support us and Alzheimer’s Society

As Angela says:

“It’s very important that we raise awareness and help raise money to develop new medication to help slow this process. Because it really is devastating. It really is.”

The Merry Maids UK Forget Me Knot challenge will continue to run throughout the summer months – with our teams nationwide getting involved in the virtual relay.

You can support our teams by sponsoring us in this endeavour via donations to our JustGiving page.

All proceeds will be donated to Alzheimer’s Society.

Or you can become a Dementia Friend today, either online or through a more comprehensive and in-person training session.

If you or a loved one knows someone who is struggling with dementia, see how we can help to give them a better quality of life for as long as possible by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or booking online today.

Merry Maids UK kicks off Forget Me Knot 2024 in support of Alzheimer’s Society

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Merry Maids UK has begun our second annual Forget Me Knot Challenge to support Alzheimer’s Society. 

This year, we’ve partnered with the Alzheimer’s Society to help them provide help and hope to the 900,000+ people living with dementia in the UK.

Alzheimer’s is commonly misunderstood to be part of getting older.

However, it is a deadly neurological disease that is currently the UK’s biggest killer, estimated to affect 1 in 2 people in the UK in our lifetimes.

Throughout 2024, at Merry Maids UK, we’re working closely with our friends at the Alzheimer’s Society to raise £10,000 as part of our commitment to supporting them in their cause.

We are also working with them to train our business owners and their cleaners across the UK to deliver dementia-conscious cleaning services to people with Alzheimer’s and dementia – making us the only specially-trained dementia-friendly cleaners in the UK!

As part of our fundraising commitment, our businesses nationwide are again undertaking our Forget Me Knot Challenge.

But what is the Forget Me Knot Challenge? And how can you get involved?

This blog post has all the details.

What is the Forget Me Knot Challenge?

The Alzheimer’s Society is represented by the forget-me-not flower long- associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia due to its effects on memory loss.

The Forget Me Knot Challenge is our is a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from Merry Maids businesses across the UK run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each Merry Maids UK business, tying them together and raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society: creating the Forget Me Knot.

The Challenge: Forget Me Knot 2024

Last year, our cleaners, business owners, customers and head-office staff raised £4000 for the society.

More than double their initial £1000 donations and 2345 mileage targets!

This translated to walking 4796.14 miles – the distance between London and Dallas, Texas!

The challenge this year is to do it bigger and better!

Our goal is to walk 20,000 miles, with each Merry Maids business in the UK walking at least 465 each!

We’ll be holding the challenge over the next few months, during the blooming period of the Forget Me Not flower.

This will incorporate local events like Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walks.

We hope to see some of you there!

How to support us

If you want to support us, please visit our Just Giving page to donate online.

Or, if you’re one of our customers, please feel free to speak to our staff about donating.

Thank you for all your support!

To stay up to date with how we’re doing, stay tuned to our blog and social media channels over the summer.

Need a cleaner?

To see how we can help you, find your nearest Merry Maids business for a free, no-obligation quote on our services or book online today.

Merry Maids UK becomes official partner in aid of Alzheimer’s Society

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Merry Maids have become official partners of Alzheimer’s Society.

We are thrilled to announce that Merry Maids has become an official charity partner in support of Alzheimer’s Society as of 2024.

This blog post has all the details.

What does the partnership mean?

We have named Alzheimer’s Society our charity of the year.

And have thus pledged to raise £10,000 to go towards their work throughout 2024.

Last year, as part of our longstanding commitment as Dementia Friends, we raised over £4000 with our nationwide Forget Me Knot Challenge Campaign.

This year, we’re kicking it up an extra gear.

As official partners, we are committed to supporting our staff and customers to have a better cleaning experience by training every Merry Maids cleaner across the UK in professional dementia support.

Therefore, we are the only domestic cleaning company in the UK certified to provide accredited support to the over 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK.

The training will also help our maids to support our customers with specific needs and extra support, and our customers feel ever more strongly that they are in good hands.

What does dementia support mean to Merry Maids customers?

To Merry Maids customers like this woman from Croydon, our support means her father can maintain his independence:

“My Dad is 93 and has got a serious heart condition and dementia,” she says.

“After a long stay in hospital and living with us for four months, he wanted to live independently,”

“He reluctantly accepted help and within a couple of weeks was looking forward to his visits by Merry Maids.”

“They are very caring and have a very soft spot for Dad,” she adds.

“Which makes my life as a carer easier.”

“Dad would never be without his Merry Maids, and they have made a huge difference to his enjoyment of life.”

What does dementia support mean to us?

This partnership officially recognises our commitment to supporting them and the people we serve living with dementia.

Vikki Donnachie, Merry Maids Brand Leader, says:

“We are thrilled to be working with Alzheimer’s Society again this year. The ability to offer further training to all our maids provides added support and peace of mind to both our customers and their families who are or have been affected by dementia.”

“At Merry Maids, our high levels of customer service and community engagement are what makes us different. Being able to support both our customers and Alzheimer’s Society is a real privilege.”

Aaliah Chik, Senior Marketing Executive for Merry Maids UK, adds:

“As many of our customers are facing dementia, to have this opportunity to take what we do for them to the next level by training our maids and supporting Alzheimer’s Society is so exciting.”

“We have great things planned for this year. I’m looking forward to developing our work to better the people living with dementia in our communities.”

Meg Foxhall, Community Fundraiser of Alzheimer’s Society, says:

“On behalf of Alzheimer’s Society, I would like to thank Merry Maids. We’re so grateful for their support, which allows us to provide help and hope for everyone affected by dementia.”

“Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer,” she adds.

“Too many people face dementia alone. 1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. We want everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you’re going through, Alzheimer’s Society is here for you.”

Discover the value of a cleaner who cares

To learn more about Merry Maids UK and our work with Alzheimer’s Society, call 0800 021 3072.

If you or someone you know would benefit from a professional and compassionate, regular or one-off, home cleaning service from the dementia friends at Merry Maids UK, find your nearest Merry Maids business or book online today.

Merry Maids of Croydon Celebrates 20th Anniversary

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Twenty years of Merry Maids of Croydon.

The end of 2023 marked 20 years in business for Merry Maids of Croydon.
Business owner Debbie Walker, a recent BFA HSBC British Franchise Awards finalist, started her business in 2003 after a successful career working in corporate roles.
With a background in Strategic Account Management working with large numbers of suppliers, Debbie became well-versed in working to provide support within her community at the highest level.

This made her well-suited to deliver the exceptional services offered at Merry Maids UK,

providing premium domestic cleaning services, from spring cleaning to end-of-tenancy cleaning, with a smile, professionalism, high-quality training, expertise and safety assurances.

Our mission

At Merry Maids, we deliver a high-value exchange to our clients.

As part of a nationwide franchise organisation, we are locally owned and nationally renowned, providing the quality and assurances of a trusted brand with the knowledge and care of a local professional.

At Merry Maids of Croydon, two decades in operation means twenty years of unparalleled cleaning, community care, and happy customers.
“I started using Merry Maids after I fell over in my home and spent 8 days in hospital. I fractured my pelvis, hip and ankle. The ladies were very sympathetic and compassionate. I have 4 flights of stairs in my home.
They changed the beds, hoovered and made the bathrooms sparkle. I have enjoyed their services for 13 months and the only reason I’m leaving them is because I’m moving up to North Lincolnshire. I would recommend them to anyone [and] would consider them as friends.”

Anniversary Celebrations

To celebrate their anniversary, the team threw a celebration in the office in which all staff received a cupcake from Drizzleanddrips and a note thanking them for their hard work.
Their regular clients also received a thank you card, and clients with cleans on the anniversary received a cupcake!
Receiving a celebratory bunch of flowers from Merry Maids franchisor ServiceMaster, Debbie said:
“We are thrilled that we are commemorating an incredible 20 years of serving the Croydon community.”
“From day one, we’ve been dedicated to delivering exceptional cleaning services with a smile.”
“Our journey has been nothing short of remarkable, and we owe it all to our dedicated team, our loyal clients, and our community who have supported us throughout the years. We can not thank you enough for being a part of our journey.”

Charity Partnership

As part of their anniversary, the team partnered with Reedham Children’s Trust to collect donations from their customers for vulnerable people and families in Croydon.

Essential items like food and toiletries have been pouring from customers to help people in the local community during Christmastime and generated donations with a total value of £1161.89!

Jessica Ritchie from the Reedham Children’s Trust added:

“Once again Merry Maids of Croydon and their wonderful customers have been incredibly kind, donating over £1,100 worth of food to help vulnerable children and their families this Christmas and into the new year.

The cost-of-living crisis affects so many of us, but it is heartening to see that despite this challenge, everyone pulls together to help others in their time of need.

Thank you so very much.”

Get in touch

If you are local to the Croydon area and would benefit from 20 years of professional cleaning expertise, contact Debbie and the rest of the Croydon team today by calling 020 8663 3268.

If you would benefit from regular or one-off cleaning services from one of our teams across the UK, contact your local cleaning experts today by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or book online.

Merry Maids of Croydon donates over £1100 worth of items to food drive

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Merry Maids of Croydon have completed another successful food drive in collaboration with the Reedham Children’s Trust.

This Christmas, the Merry Maids of Croydon team once again partnered with Reedham Children’s Trust to collect donations from their customers for vulnerable people and families in Croydon.

Essential items like food and toiletries have been pouring from customers to help people in the local community during Christmastime.

The drive, held for the second time following a successful effort last year that inspired the nationwide Forget Me Knot Challenge, has generated donations with a total value of £1161.89!

The Impact

The impact of this scale of donations cannot be overstated.

Last year, the food drive helped support over 100 families in Croydon to have the essentials over Christmas and into the new year.

Like this Mum of three who benefitted from a hamper provided by Merry Maids last year:

“With the cost of the living crisis, I was feeling depressed and turned to a friend for help in finding a charity that could support us. But to my amazement, we received a food hamper and vouchers, an incredible show of support I couldn’t believe. I am beyond grateful for this support, which has helped my children and me.”

This year, the team surpassed the donations from last year, which will go a long way to supporting the (approx.) 27,483 children living in poverty in Croydon.

Thank yous

The Croydon and Reedham Trust teams would like to extend a huge thank you to the people who dug deep to help.

Merry Maids of Croydon Director Debbie Walker, who was recently named a finalist in the BFA HSBC British Franchise Awards for her work in the local community, said:

For the second year running, we have been delighted to raise food donations for the Reedham Children’s Trust.

Our clients have been so generous in supporting this initiative and we hope this will make a difference to families in need in the Croydon area this Christmas.

I would like to thank our clients and staff for such a positive response!”

Jessica Ritchie from the Reedham Children’s Trust added:

“Once again Merry Maids of Croydon and their wonderful customers have been incredibly kind, donating over £1,100 worth of food to help vulnerable children and their families this Christmas and into the new year.

The cost-of-living crisis affects so many of us, but it is heartening to see that despite this challenge, everyone pulls together to help others in their time of need.

Thank you so very much.”

Get in touch

And if you are local to the Croydon area, get in touch with Debbie and the rest of the Croydon team today by calling 020 8663 3268.

If you would benefit from regular or one-off cleaning services from one of our teams across the UK, contact your local cleaning experts today by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or book online.

Care in the community: Charity Initiatives from Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington

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How Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington support their community through charity engagement. 

Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington’s Office Supervisor, Jo, has been with the company for several years, beginning as a cleaner.

She uses her position to combine her passion for the community and background in care to support local and national charities.

Jo’s Background

Jo worked in care for eight years, running care homes and fundraising regularly through sponsored activities and events.

These have included mental health and dementia campaigns and a brain tumour charity.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jo returned to Merry Maids, having worked with us as a cleaner before her time in care.

In joining Merry Maids, Jo joined a business that enables her to use her natural affinity for providing personalised care through professional and bespoke home cleaning services.

Recent Charity Work at Merry Maids

In April, Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington donated Easter eggs and chocolate to Dandelion Time, a local charity that supports children who have experienced hardship and traumatic events.

But that’s not all they’ve been up to.

Recently, Jo has been getting active and supporting charities close to her heart while at Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington.

“In February this year, I did 10,000 steps [daily] for Brain Tumour Research. And then I did 30 miles in September for dementia charities,” she says.

Her other recent activities have again supported the brain tumour and mental health charities.

Jo also completed a Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s Society, a charity that is close to all of our teams at Merry Maids UK and Jo, whose mother-in-law sadly suffered from the disease.

She estimates that she has raised £1500 from her recent efforts.

Upcoming Charity Work with Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington

Looking to the future, Jo has some ambitious charity plans for the new year.

Alongside more active fundraising for dementia and mental health charities, she is organising a charity initiative with her son to give out Christmas presents to local children in need.

Furthermore, Merry Maids Bromley will donate an afternoon tea to Southmore Court Assisted Living, one of their regular cleaning clients.

Jo says she is always looking to push her contributions and do more for the people in the local community:

“Me, myself, I want to do more volunteer work in the lines with dementia, like volunteer, maybe afternoon or a couple of hours here and there. I really like doing it,” she says.

“For my birthday, I’ve put something up for anyone to donate to Alzheimer’s instead of getting me giving me a present. And that’s what I’ll do for Christmas as well. We do cancer one, me and my friends. We don’t buy each other cards, but donate to Cancer Research.”

Want to see the value of a cleaner who cares?

If you or someone you know would benefit from a professional and compassionate home cleaning service from Merry Maids UK, find your nearest Merry Maids business today.

To schedule a visit from Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington, book online or call 01689 830000 for a free quote for our bespoke and professional home cleaning services.

From one-off deep cleans to regular visits and spring cleaning, we do the cleaning so you don’t have to.

Merry Maids of Croydon Food Drive 2023

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Merry Maids of Croydon’s 2023 Food Drive to support the local community.

It’s not long until Christmas.

This means we’re entering what the team at Merry Maids of Croydon likes to call the season of giving back.

And they need their customer’s help.

2022 Food Drive

Last year, business owner Debbie Walker and her team ran a food bank drive with the Reedham Children’s Trust to support families with the cost-of-living crisis.

Families like Maya and her four young children relocated to Croydon after fleeing domestic violence.

Housed in emergency housing, they had only the clothes on their backs. Suddenly reliant on benefits, they struggled to pay for necessities like food.

With their customer’s support, they supplied enough donations to support over 100 families like Maya’s over Christmas.

2023 Food Drive

There are still roughly 27,483 children living in poverty in Croydon.

Disadvantaged by issues like domestic violence, poor mental health, special educational needs, and placement in care, up to 73% need free school meals as a primary source of sustenance.

This year, the team wants to do more.

They want to help our families at home and those further afield to have a happier Christmas.

They are running another drive and are asking their customers for support with small donations to make a huge difference for families going without essentials this Christmas.

Like this Mum of three who benefitted from a hamper provided by Merry Maids last year:

“With the cost of the living crisis, I was feeling depressed and turned to a friend for help in finding a charity that could support us. But to my amazement, we received a food hamper and vouchers, an incredible show of support I couldn’t believe. I am beyond grateful for this support, which has helped my children and me.”

From the 15th-30th of November, the team are collecting items for vulnerable families selected from six local schools and families in emergency accommodation across the UK.

Items to Donate

The Reedham Trust has relayed a list of needed items.

It currently includes:

  • Tinned Vegetables
  • Pasta Sauce/Pasta
  • Tinned Meals
  • UHT Milk
  • Rice/ Cereal
  • Toilet paper
  • Soap Bar
  • Shower Gel
  • Christmas treats
  • Items made with a kettle (not an oven). E.g. cuppa soup

A word from the team

Business owner Debbie Walker said:

“There can be no doubt that we are living in difficult and uncertain times. But we don’t have to face them alone. By working together, we can make a real difference and improve the lives of the people in our communities.

That’s why Merry Maids of Croydon are delighted to be partnering with Reedham Children’s Trust to support people in and around Croydon through a food bank drive.”

Jessica Ritchie, a representative of the Reedham Children’s Trust, says,

“We are delighted that Merry Maids of Croydon and their incredibly kind client base will, once again, be supporting our annual food appeal. Last year, customers donated 1,274 items of non-perishable food items, alongside essential toiletries. This supported hundreds of local families not only over Christmas but across the winter months, too. We are so grateful for their continued support this year.”

Learn the value of a cleaner that cares

If you are local to the Croydon area, contact Debbie and the rest of the Merry Maids of Croydon team today by calling 020 8663 3268.

If you would benefit from regular or one-off cleaning services from one of our teams across the UK, contact your local cleaning experts today by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or book online through our online shop.

Merry Maids UK ‘Forget Me Knot Challenge’ Raises £4,000 for Alzheimer’s Society

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The Merry Maids UK Forget Me Knot Challenge has raised over £4,000 for Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends.

At Merry Maids UK, we are a nationwide cleaning franchise that has long had our heart in care and the community.

When, in 2014, a friend of the Croydon-based franchise, Debbie Walker, was researching a PhD thesis on dementia patients and told her about Dementia Friends, we began to work closely with the charity and have never looked back.

Our Merry Maids business owners provide care across the UK through compassionate and professional home cleaning services.

This often means they encounter members of the public living with dementia and struggling with the disease.

This year, we took our dedication to giving back a mammoth step further by undertaking the Forget Me Knot Challenge – which has raised over £4,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.

The Forget Me Knot Challenge

The Forget Me Knot Challenge – named in reference to the tying together of Merry Maids businesses and the small blue flower that has long been associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia – was a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from Merry Maids businesses across the UK ran, walked, or cycled the equivalent total mileage between each Merry Maids UK business.

The results

Cleaners, business owners, customers and head-office staff from across the UK put forward donations, helping raise over £4,000 – achieving more than double their initial £1000 donations and 2345 mileage targets.

Collectively, the Merry Maids franchise network has walked 4796.14 miles – the distance between London and Dallas, Texas!

Our stories

With over 900,000 people estimated to be living with dementia or Alzheimer’s in the UK today, it is likely that we all know or have known someone affected.

Each participant had their reasons for taking part.

Like Mike Fargher of Merry Maids in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, who racked up 1186 miles and generous donations by cycling and pledging £1 per mile.

“Our Merry Maids business has had many encounters with Dementia over the years,” says Mike.

“We have some long-term clients that did not have dementia when we started to clean for them but sadly now have it.  We also take on new clients where they, and their families, wish to remain in their own homes and, with the support of ourselves and other outside agencies, can do so.”

“Sometimes a client wants to chat over a cup of tea, to tell you about their life, family and other interests. The Maids may have heard the same stories several times but will listen as if it was the first time they heard it.”

Or the team in Fylde, Blackpool and Preston – including maids Angela and Bernie – who each has had multiple family members live with the disease.

“I’m doing the Forget Me Knot Challenge because I’ve been through dementia experiences three times so far, and I’m just about to go through my fourth with my dad,” Angela said back in July.

“It’s devastating. The person you once knew changes into somebody else.”

“They don’t die… straight away. It’s a long process. But they change. They’re unrecognisable as the person you once knew.”

“You have to be kind to one another. You have to talk. Don’t bottle things up, and listen. Listen to the person who is ill because they are just as confused as you are.”

“It’s important that we help them to feel as normal as possible for as long as possible. We must find ways of making this illness easier to live with, raise awareness and money to develop new medication to help slow this process.”

Learn more

To learn more about Merry Maids UK and our work with Alzheimer’s Society, call 0800 021 3072.

If you or someone you know would benefit from a professional and compassionate, regular or one-off, home cleaning service from the dementia friends at Merry Maids UK, find your nearest Merry Maids business or visit our online shop today.

Merry Maids UK kicks off Forget Me Knot Challenge in aid of dementia charities

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Learn more about Merry Maids UK’s Forget Me Knot Challenge for Dementia Friends.

With over 850,000 people in the UK estimated to be living with dementia right now, we have likely all experienced the impact of dementia in some capacity at one time or another, with research suggesting it will affect 1 in 2 people in our lifetimes.

This means that, at Merry Maids UK, we regularly encounter clients and family struggling or living with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

As such, we have been a long-time supporter of the charity Dementia Friends (which is a subset of Alzheimer’s Society).

Who are Dementia Friends?

Dementia Friends is an initiative that trains businesses and organisations and the people who work for them in the right ways to interact with people with dementia.

Merry Maids UK began working alongside Dementia Friends in 2014 when a friend of Debbie Walker, the owner of Merry Maids of Croydon, started looking into the charity whilst researching for her PhD on the health of older adults.

Our duty of care to our customers is something we value deeply, so we jumped at the chance to receive training from Dementia Friends to aid our cleans.

Soon, we were becoming dementia friends nationwide.

What is the Forget Me Knot Challenge?

This year, we wanted to do more.

That’s why we have created the Forget Me Knot Challenge.

Alzheimer’s Society is represented by the forget me not, a small blue flower that has long been associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia due to its effects of memory loss.

This is a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from Merry Maids businesses across the UK will run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each Merry Maids UK business, tying them together and raising funds for Dementia Friends/ Alzheimer’s Society: creating the Forget Me Knot.

How to support us?

With the challenge now underway, our businesses will be undertaking the task of covering 335 miles each to raise money over the coming months.

If you would like to support us, please visit our Just Giving page to donate online.

Contact Us

If you would benefit from regular or one-off cleaning services from one of our teams, across the UK, contact your local cleaning experts today by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or book online through our online shop.

Join Merry Maids of Croydon as a champion for Croydon’s children

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Merry Maids of Croydon is a champion for local children, will you join us?

Did you know? There are over 27,000 children living in poverty in Croydon and up to 73% of children are in need of free school meals in certain areas.

At Merry Maids of Croydon, we are committed to supporting those in need in our local community, particularly children in need.

That’s why we are partners of the local Reedham Children’s Trust, which provides essential support to schools, families and children in and around Croydon.

Just last Christmas, we operated a highly successful food bank drive, donating enough essential items through the local schools to feed over 100 venerable families over the Christmas period.

But it’s not enough to rest on our laurels, families are still struggling.

The cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating the serious issues of the known 27,483 children living in poverty in the borough.

Children are disadvantaged by multiple issues, such as domestic violence, poor mental health, special educational needs and placement in care.

These multiple deprivations can prevent our children from accessing education and building the resilience, skills and confidence they need to fulfil their potential.

They will earn less, have increased health problems and lead shorter lives. Without support now, we risk our children’s futures.

“With the cost of the living crisis, I was feeling depressed and turned to a friend for help in finding a charity that could support us. But to my amazement, we received a food hamper and vouchers, an incredible show of support I couldn’t believe. I am beyond grateful for this support, which has truly helped my children and me.”

~ Mum of 3, Croydon.

Reedham Children’s Trust

Reedham Children’s Trust exists to improve the lives and life outcomes of vulnerable children and young people.

They work in collaboration with charities and voluntary organisations across Croydon to reach more children and young people in need and to enable the best support possible.

In light of the support Merry Maids of Croydon has provided the trust, they have named us a Croydon Children’s Champion.

Could you join us?

Reedham Children’s Trust are running a local campaign to generate awareness of the issues facing Croydon’s vulnerable children, but they need support.

Donating to this campaign can provide vulnerable children and families in the area with the support they so desperately need.

What your help could do

  • £25 could pay for an hour’s support for a child or young person in crisis
  • £50 could provide workshops on cooking, food growing and nature for young people interested in these areas as a career path
  • £100 could buy desperately needed food vouchers for four families

Contact Us

If you’d like to get in touch with Reedham Children’s Trust about the campaign, call 020 8660 1461 or 07837339113 or email events@reedhamchildrenstrust.org.uk.

If you are local to the Croydon area, get in touch with Debbie and the rest of the Merry Maids of Croydon team today by calling 020 8663 3268.

And if you would benefit from regular or one-off cleaning services from one of our teams, across the UK, get in touch with your local cleaning experts today by finding your nearest Merry Maids business or book online through our online shop.

Merry Maids Bromley donating Easter eggs to Dandelion Time

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Spreading Easter cheer and chocolate.

Over Easter, Richard Wall and his team at Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington partnered with Reed Employment to donate chocolate eggs to Dandelion Time.

Richard, who has previously engaged in other charity work, such as running the Cambridge Half Marathon to raise money for Dementia Friends, says he and his business are always looking for ways to help charities that do vital work, like Dandelion Time.

“We are always glad to support charities and help [wherever possible].”

Due to Richard’s first-hand experiences earlier in his career, supporting children’s mental health for him was a no-brainer.

Hence when Reed contacted him about Dandelion Time, Richard was more than happy to help.

Dandelion Time

Dandelion Time is a charity local to Richard’s area.

Their mission is to support children in Kent who have suffered traumatic experiences like neglect or domestic abuse.

According to Dandelion Time,

“Health, education and social care services face huge financial pressures and aren’t always the right solution for children with [mental health and trauma] issues: Dandelion Time fills this gap.”

Over the last 20 years, they have brought lasting change to over 1,000 families through their unique therapeutic approach focusing on the great outdoors.

At Dandelion Time, families take part in a ten-week programme.

During this time, they work with experts, nature, crafts and families to get the time and space they need to recover and be the children they deserve – without trauma and distress.

Donating Eggs

We all know that as much as the time off is much appreciated, the holidays are the best for children.

Especially when there’s plenty of chocolate to seek out and snack on.

That’s why, in partnership with Reed Employment, Richard and Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington donated Easter Eggs to Dandelion Time so the children in their care could share in the spirit and have some chocolate eggs this Easter.

A gesture which was gratefully received by the children and staff at Dandelion Time:

“Dandelion Time is committed to supporting Kent children and families who are in difficult circumstances and so are keen to brighten their day in any way we can.”

“The Easter donations of chocolate eggs were a lovely way to help them celebrate and we were all so grateful for the generous donations received from organisations such as Merry Maids, via Reed.”

– Dandelion Time Representative

Find out more

To find out more about Dandelion Time’s vital work please visit their website.

To schedule a visit from Richard and his team at Merry Maids Bromley and Orpington, book online or call 01689 830000 to receive a free, no-obligation quote on a range of bespoke and professional home cleaning services.

From one-off deep cleans to regular visits and spring cleaning, Richard and his team will do the cleaning so you don’t have to.

Or nationwide, find your nearest Merry Maids business to see how your local cleaning experts can help you today.