About us and Our Mission
About us and Our Mission
A more in-depth look at Wivey Cares. What do we do? What do we stand for? And who makes up our team?
A more in-depth look at Wivey Cares. What do we do? What do we stand for? And who makes up our team?
Our Beginning
Our Beginning…
At its core, Wivey Cares connects people with people, making support more personal, more affordable and more local – helping build a stronger, more connected community.
David Patterson – Founder of Wivey Cares
David Patterson founded Wivey Cares in 2018. It was established to make sure no one had to face illness, a long-term condition, or the challenges of older age alone.
At the core of what we do is something simple: showing up. Our Co-Ordinator facilitates the introduction of friendly micro-providers who visit people at home, offering practical help alongside a listening ear.
We also bring people together. We host group activities that give everyone a chance to share a cup of tea, swap stories, and find comfort in familiar faces. These sessions are a lifeline not just for the people who attend, but for the families and micro-providers who support them too.
Wivey Cares was built on the belief that community is one of the most powerful forms of care there is. Everything we do flows from that.
Key Impact
Key Impact
Local & Personal
Service users are supported by consistent, local, micro-providers who stay the full hour(s).
Strong relationships are built on trust and familiarity between everyone.
Quality Support & Wellbeing
Micro-providers provide high-quality support that maintains both physical and mental health.
Service users remain in their own homes for longer, delaying the need for residential care.
Boosting Community Spirit
The community works together to support each other.
Our groups bring people together and foster friendships, support, laughter and fun!
Significant Savings
Micro-provider rates are £10-£15 less than agency rates.
This enables service users a huge saving.
Attendance Allowance Support
We help with Attendance Allowance forms. These can bring in an additional £4000-£6000/year per individual depending on rate awarded.
This enables more support at home for longer.
Local Economic Impact
We enable local employment opportunities.
Local micro-providers employed by local service users keeps money circulating within the community.
2025 Impact Report
2025 Impact Report
Read our 2025 Impact Report below to find out how Wivey Cares impacted our community last year:
The Wivey Cares Team
The Wivey Cares Team
Get to know the people behind Wivey Cares.
Our Trustees
David Patterson – Founder Chair
Throughout most of my professional life, I have worked in and around the care sector. I have also forever been passionate about the importance of community. The success of Wivey Cares is a great reflection of what can be achieved by working together and I’m pleased to have been a part of helping improve the lives of our older folk and friends. In all the spare time I have I enjoy swimming in our fabulous pool, occasional tennis, not as much cycling as I would like…and sharing a coffee!!
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Chris Howe – Chair
Some years ago I was involved in trying to find care for my elderly parents. Knowing first hand the problems of finding carers who come from the local community I was immediately impressed with the Wivey Cares model.
Someone who can build a caring and trusting relationship with someone who needs support is so important.
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Bev Shaw – Treasurer
I wanted to be part of the Wivey Cares team as I was aware of the great things they were doing and the real difference being made.
I have an occupational therapy background and understand the importance of people staying in their own home in familiar surroundings. Wivey Cares is enabling this. The team of trustees are a great bunch, with resourcefulness, knowledge and ideas and it’s great to be a small part of that.
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Valeria Coots
I helped in the setting up of Wivey Cares and served as its first coordinator from 2018-2019. I have now returned to the fold as a Trustee. I love the concept of locals helping locals, and Wivey Cares is a fantastic initiative and has proved its worth. We need to keep it going! My professional background is in Training/HR and also in Guidance & Advice, most of it spent working with charities in areas such as community development, health and social work, reducing homelessness, education and return to work.
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Mark Blaker
I have lived in Wiveliscombe for 18 years. I am the Director of a day service for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) based in four locations across Somerset. I have also been a parent carer for 31 years. In previous roles I have worked in marketing and business development for a number of organisations, including BT, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Somerset Waste Partnership and Lloyds Bank.
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Margaret Browning
When Wivey Cares came into existence I knew immediately that their model is what is needed to give people needing support and those who care for them, an important measure of control and continuity over the service they receive. I have become a trustee out of appreciation for the support my husband and I had from Tamzin and our micro providers throughout our changing needs during the last two years of his life.
In my working life I was a social worker for children and families. I have also worked as a research interviewer on ELSA, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. I have lived in Wivey for 20 years, love walking, swimming and everything our community has to offer.
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Paul Harrison
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Our Project Co-Ordinator
Tamzin Jones
Project Co-ordinator
I moved to Wiveliscombe with my parents and brother over 40 years ago, and trained as a chef — hospitality was my trade for years. Then Covid struck, and it was time for a change. I still wanted to make sure “everyone was okay and happy with their service,” and that’s when Wivey Cares appeared. I became a Micro-provider, helping local people I’d grown up seeing in the streets or serving in cafes and pubs. It felt too good an opportunity to pass up, and so my journey into Health and Social Care began.
A couple of years later, the Co-ordinator role opened up when the wonderful lady who’d held it for 4 years retired. It was my next giant leap, and I wouldn’t swap it for the world. Stressful, busy, overwhelming at times? Yes. But the rewards far outweigh any of that. To see a smile across the faces of individuals who have reached out for help and we’ve helped them find a micro-provider who is going to help them live at home for as long as possible is amazing. To know that families have peace of mind knowing someone local is keeping an eye on their older generations when they can’t be near is equally as rewarding too.
So that’s me: always ready to help and make sure you get the best service.
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Our Fundraising Co-Ordinator
