MY STORY

Why I started BALVIK

My experience in adult social care showed me just how important independence can be — and how easily it can sometimes be lost.

Working directly with people, I saw many situations where someone was still perfectly capable of doing much of everyday life for themselves, but needed a little extra support to make that possible. Sometimes it was encouragement. Sometimes a prompt, an extra pair of hands, help organising something or simply having someone reliable alongside them.

That small amount of support could make an enormous difference.

As my experience grew, particularly in independence and wellbeing work, I also became increasingly aware of a gap.

Some people did not need — or were not eligible for — a formal package of care, yet managing completely alone was becoming difficult.

Their needs might not be considered significant enough for traditional services, but that did not mean the need wasn’t there.

I kept coming back to the same thought: there should be something in between.

BALVIK grew from that idea.

It is for people who want to remain involved in their own lives. People who may no longer find every everyday task as easy as it once was, but who do not want somebody arriving and automatically doing everything for them. People who still want to cook, shop, walk their dog, get out into the community, organise their own affairs, enjoy their interests or try something they have always wanted to do — perhaps with just a little support alongside them.