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DIAL-AN-ANGEL celebrates 17 years in Newcastle

15 August 2005

Dena Blackman founded the fledgling DIAL AN ANGEL office on Sydney’s North Shore with a $200 bank loan. When Dena placed her first advertisement over 38 years ago she anticipated a ‘warm’ response but the reaction was overwhelming. Before Dena was able to interview and screen the first Angels, she had a waiting list of 22 prospective clients who had seen the advertisements and were prepared to wait for their very own Angels! DIAL-AN-ANGEL grew quickly from a one person, one-telephone office to 12 offices nationwide.

The Newcastle branch was opened in late 1988 in Watt Street. The earthquake which shook the town in 1989 was only regarded as yet another challenge to be faced and encouraged Dena to seek alternative premises. This was achieved in late 1992 and the office moved to its bright, spacious home in King Street with Lyne Bashford at the helm. From their King Street premises DIAL-AN-ANGEL provides assistance from as far as the Nelsons Bay Area down through to Maitland, Cessnock and Nords Wharf.

From relatively unsophisticated beginnings, DIAL-AN-ANGEL has developed an enviable professional reputation as the leader in home and family care across Australia. Under Lyne’s dedicated management, the Newcastle office was recognised as Office of the Year in 2001 and Lyne is keen to repeat that success this year.

Lyne says that over time the nature of services provided have altered with the changing needs of the market. “With an aging population we now provide extensive eldercare and in home nursing services. The development of the tourism market has involved working with hotels and serviced apartments providing babysitting and daytime childcare as a service to visitors. Another area of growth is emergency and ”relieving” carers for staff who need to be able to get to work but want to leave their children in safe and caring hands,” says Lyne

DIAL-AN-ANGEL is always seeking to register suitably experienced, caring Angels. Lyne believes the work is perfect for mothers to schedule around their family’s commitments. “We need to register new Angels to cope with the growing demand in all areas of home help. Applicants can be mums with grown children or active grandparents who enjoy driving, working in the garden and around the home. Angels may elect to work any three hours or more - on days and at times that suit them. It’s even their choice whether they work during school vacations,” says Lyne.

About DIAL-AN-ANGEL Pty Limited

DIAL-AN-ANGEL is the only national agency that has been committed to serving busy Australians and visitors to Australia since 1967. As a full service home and family care agency, live-in as well as Visiting Angels™ undertake all manner of home-based services: domestic housekeeping & cleaning, child care, babysitting, in-home nursing, disability care, eldercare-at-home®, supervised contact visits, garden