Companionship and home help in Gillingham
Aurora offers companionship and home help in Gillingham, Dorset’s most northerly town, and in the villages around it. Visits start from one hour, with a small team of local carers and Kirsty, a registered nurse, overseeing every plan.
Support that fits life in Gillingham
Gillingham is one of the towns we most want to support more families in. Our carers already come here: clients from elsewhere in North Dorset travel in with them for the memory café, which runs on alternate Tuesday mornings at Gillingham Social Club on Hardings Lane.
Most everyday trips are close together in the town centre. Chantry Fields has Waitrose, the library and the town museum side by side, so a visit can easily include the weekly shop, a change of library books and a sit down. Orchard Park Garden Centre, with its café and free parking, is a short drive out.
Gillingham is well placed for us. Shaftesbury, where Kirsty lives, is about 15 minutes away, and Mere and Wincanton are just as close. That means familiar carers can reach you reliably, and cover is someone your loved one already knows.
The first step is a free home visit. Kirsty and Kayleigh will come to the house, meet your loved one, and tell you plainly whether Aurora is the right fit.
The places that make the week
Visits are not only about the house. Carers drive their own cars, insured for business, so a visit can include the shops, a café or an appointment.
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The memory café at Gillingham Social Club
Already part of the week for clients
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Chantry Fields
Waitrose, Gillingham Library and the town museum, all next to each other in the centre.
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Gillingham Museum
A free museum of local history, run by the Gillingham Local History Society.
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Orchard Park Garden Centre
A garden centre with a restaurant, level access and free parking.
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Stourhead
The National Trust landscape garden around a lake, about 15 minutes north.
Appointments and health
Carers can drive to appointments, come in with your loved one and take notes for the family if you would like.
The Barn Surgery, Newbury
The main surgery of Gillingham Medical Practice. Carers can take your loved one and come into the appointment.
Peacemarsh Surgery, Marlott Road
Gillingham Medical Practice’s branch surgery, on the north side of town.
Westminster Memorial Hospital, Shaftesbury
The nearest community hospital, with a minor injuries unit, about 15 minutes away. Call 111 first to check it is open.
Salisbury and Yeovil District Hospitals
The nearest A&E departments, each around 40 to 50 minutes away.
Groups and company
Keeping up a club, a café or a group is often what keeps someone themselves. We can build those into the plan.
Mindful Memory Café, Gillingham
Quizzes, games and singing for people living with memory loss and their carers, on alternate Tuesday mornings at Gillingham Social Club.
Men Marching On
A fortnightly Thursday morning group for men living with memory loss or loneliness, also at the Social Club.
Gillingham Area Voluntary Car Link
Volunteer drivers for medical appointments and hospital visits across SP8 and nearby villages.
Shaftesbury & Gillingham U3A
Monthly talks and interest groups shared between the two towns.
Support in Gillingham, shaped around one person
- Companionship Coffee, conversation, hobbies and trips out with a familiar carer.
- Household help Cleaning, laundry, fridge checks and meals cooked from scratch.
- Wellbeing visits A regular check-in, with notes you can read the same day.
- Outings, shopping and appointments Shops, cafés, garden centres and appointments, with a familiar carer driving.
- Medication reminders Verbal prompts, prescription collection, and a note when supplies run low.
- Care coordination A nurse keeping an eye on the bigger picture, and advising the family on next steps.
- Respite and sitting Regular sitting visits so a family carer can take a break.
- Dementia companionship Familiar companionship and routines for someone living with dementia.
- Support after hospital Shopping, meals and company while someone settles back at home.
Villages around Gillingham
Not on the list? Call Kirsty with your postcode and she will tell you straight away.
- Milton on Stour
- Bourton
- Silton
- Motcombe
- Kington Magna
- Buckhorn Weston
- Stour Provost
- East Stour
- Cucklington
- Zeals
- Madjeston
- Eccliffe
Questions about Gillingham
Yes. We cover Gillingham and villages such as Milton on Stour, Bourton, Motcombe and Kington Magna. If you are in a nearby village and you are not sure we can reach you, call Kirsty with your postcode.
Yes. Our carers already bring clients to the memory café at Gillingham Social Club. It runs on alternate Tuesday mornings, with quizzes, games and singing, and carers can stay alongside your mum.
Yes. Carers can drive your dad to The Barn Surgery or Peacemarsh Surgery, to Westminster Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbury, or to Salisbury or Yeovil. They can come into the appointment and take notes for the family. Mileage for a trip during a visit is charged, and Kirsty explains that at the home visit.
Yes. Our team lives across North Dorset, South Somerset and South Wiltshire, and Kirsty is about 15 minutes away in Shaftesbury. We keep a small group of carers around each person, so cover is always someone familiar.
We can usually start within three days of your first call. Kirsty or Kayleigh will tell you straight away if a particular week is full.
Nearby towns we cover
What families say
Ready when you are
Book a free home visit in Gillingham
Kirsty and Kayleigh will come to the house, meet your loved one and talk through what would help. No pressure and no obligation.