Buddy Up
Dear Reader,
The idea for our Buddyup service originated from direct life experience
Joanne, a director at Handy Ladies, became the full-time primary caregiver for her husband, Steve, in 2019. By 2022, the 24/7 stress of caring for someone who was then undiagnosed, combined with the isolation of the pandemic, took a heavy toll. Joanne experienced severe caregiver burnout and was later diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition herself. At the time, they had very little to no external support. While their personal situation has thankfully improved, that difficult period revealed a critical gap in care.
Steve, who lives with Parkinson's disease, mental health challenges, and cognitive decline, remains the inspiration for this service. During the hardest times, they frequently had to ask others just to sit with him for five minutes so they could both get a brief respite.
This experience inspired Buddyup: a dedicated service designed to give caregivers a meaningful break. Rather than just an hour or two, we offer support for up to 6 hours a day, 7 days a week, including evenings. We know firsthand how essential this time is to sustain relationships and personal well-being.
Our story is just one of many, but with the Buddyup service, we hope to provide the help and support others need to live their best lives.
Best regards,
Handy Ladies
What our clients say about us:
“Thank you is a too simplistic phrase to express the gratitude I feel towards “Handy Ladies” for all the care and attention given to my sister who was experiencing some severe problems. She was always very house proud and you have immediately tuned into her requirements, her likes and dislikes.
You also were very obliging when my brother and I were unable to see to her shopping necessities.”
“I have been dealing with Handy Ladies for at least two years as they provide assistance to a dear Mum.
I have found the members of staff to be kind and friendly and they always deal with any queries and give excellent advice pertaining to the help and support they can provide.
Lyndsey, the day time companion, is especially helpful and caring. She visits once a week, stopping for a chat and a cup of tea and often brings small gifts and flowers to raise a smile. Our Mum really enjoys her company and looks forward to her visits.
The company give regular updates regarding visits etc and are willing to adapt the services they provide to give the best assistance possible to their clients.
All in all, Handy Ladies is a wonderful service.”
“Dear Handy Ladies
I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the ministrations of the Handy Ladies who helped me. 2 weeks ago I sat in my chair, looked over the room and despaired. Now I can walk without fear of falling, cook, put things in the fridge, open a window .....
We’re taking a break before tackling upstairs but already my quality of life has improved.
Thanks”
“We have been having buddy up sessions with Handy Ladies for about 5 months.
Mum really looks forward to her visits, definitely brightens up her day.
They chat, do crosswords and Debbie sometimes makes mum lunch which she really enjoys as Debbie makes a really nice meal.”
Handy ladies is a highly-rated, local home-support and companionship service based in Stockport. They run a dedicated 'Buddy Up' service explicitly designed to help elderly and vulnerable individuals avoid loneliness by providing social visits, phone check-ins, and assisted outings.
Here are the details of how their companionship and Buddy Up calls work:
What it involves: Friendly check-in calls, accompanied walks, help with shopping trips, or simply sitting down over a cup of tea for a chat.
Respite Care: The calls and visits provide vital social time for isolated individuals while offering welcome respite for family caregivers.
No Charge for Assessment: They do not charge for initial assessments, which are normally conducted during a 2-hour home visit to discuss individual needs and build trust.
Service Areas: Their team primarily operates across the Stockport area.
To book a visit or arrange a companionship call, you can reach the team directly using the Handy Ladies Contact Page, emailing handyladies2@gmail.com, or calling 07895 435232. You can also stay updated on their community work via the Handy Ladies Facebook Page.
Staff experience:
“When I was younger my mum was a home help for the elderly, in the school holidays, I would go with mum do the shopping for them, sit and chat to them, do the littlest of jobs they couldn’t do.
I found this very rewarding few hours a day can make such a difference. and she taught me the same, she taught me to be honest, reliable and respectful to all.”
“I’ve been caring since I left school in Cornwall moved to Manchester and it was my passion. I have experienced end of care support looking after wheelchair bound people & dementia, mental health.”
“Senior support worker NHS and Social services. Also supporting Stockport residents live independently, experienced with dementia care and understanding, end of life support, wellbeing checks helping families cope with different situations.”
“I’ve always worked in care, originally with pre-schoolers for 20 years, which I loved. Unfortunately, my mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia and my sister was very poorly with MS, so I gave up work for a couple of years to help care for them both.
After my mum passed, I decided to do some dementia training, as I really enjoyed helping her and meeting others with similar diagnosis, I knew then i wanted to change my path. I then worked as a carer in people’s homes for a couple of different companies, eventually leading me to find Handy Ladies in August 2025.
”
“When i was growing up my mother worked as a home help for the local council I sometimes went with her on her calls and loved being helpful to her elderly clients it gave me a sense of worth, just doing the easiest of tasks that others found difficult.
When I left school, I worked at Cheadle Royal Hospital for a short while caring for the elderly patients with MH. We used to organise outings for them including taking them to the cinema, local cafes ,helping in the gardens to name just a few things.
”
“Senior support worker for social services for 13 years at Stockport Council ”
“I have 20 years as a support worker Stockport Council working with vulnerable people of all ages”