A leading home-care provider has welcomed two new recruits- from half way around the world.

Chipo Watungwa and Chenai Goredema recently made the 7,000-mile journey from Zimbabwe to join Bellcare, a domiciliary care firm based in the sleepy coastal town of Workington, Cumbria.

Amid the recent industry-wide recruitment issues the care sector has faced, Bellcare opened its search internationally and the bid has already been hailed a great success.

Bellcare’s managing director, Carol Wilson, said: “We are absolutely delighted and humbled that Chipo and Chenai have chosen Bellcare as their employer and moved all this way to join us.

"They’re settling in very well and as usual, the Bellcare family have embraced our new colleagues.

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“We will provide a plethora of training courses and programmes to enable them to progress further within the care sector and to develop their skills and expertise.

"We have such a strong team here with decades of industry experience and I’m confident Chipo and Chenai will benefit enormously from this.

“We are grateful to two of our key partners for working with us to begin this campaign, consultancy firm SLSPEC Ltd who have led on the application for the sponsorship licence and Pearls International for sourcing our candidates.

“This is a major step in the right direction for us.”

Chipo said: “We are about a month in working and living here in Cumbria now, this is a whole new beginning, different but better working and living conditions. Working at Bellcare is so different, the team is so welcoming and supportive, and they all treat you like family.

“Working here in the UK now makes me feel closer to realising my dreams both career wise and financially. I'm grateful for this wonderful opportunity which is a dream come true. I am looking ahead to a bright future with job enrichment as well as developing my career.”

Chenai said: “I have always wanted to come and work in the United Kingdom and when Bellcare offered me the opportunity I was so excited, and I didn’t hesitate to take up the offer and relocate from Africa.

“I really appreciate the support and hospitality Bellcare have offered me so far. I am looking forward to having my dreams and aspirations fulfilled by this exciting and life-changing opportunity.”

Bellcare is Cumbria’s largest provider of domiciliary care and whilst Bellcare are also searching beyond Cumbria for recruits, they also still hire local people.

Carol adds: “We are incredibly passionate about providing local employment opportunities here in West Cumbria and encourage anyone interested in taking up a career in the care sector to get in touch for a chat."