Leeds care home performer vows 'not to give up' on her business in face of Covid-19 pandemic
A Leeds care home performer has vowed "not to give up" despite the devastating impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on her business.
Carole Laine, 47, of East Ardsley, had to watch helplessly as the business she spent the last 13 years building up came to an abrupt halt with the outbreak of coronavirus.
She set up Cats Pyjamas Productions Ltd in 2007 to bring live performances to residents and staff in care homes all over the UK and employs five members of staff - but when Covid arrived, she said cancellations started coming "thick and fast".
The care home sector has been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, with more than a third of homes in England reporting Covid-19 outbreaks among its highly-vulnerable residents.
Carole told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "When Covid set in, it was pretty early when we knew it was going to hurt business. The first show to be cancelled was March 10 - and then the cancellations started coming thick and fast. It was a very sad time, as I had spent over 12 years building the business, to see everything gone for the foreseeable future.
"Not only was there going to be no money coming in - but I felt sad for the residents who were not going to have any visit from entertainers, friends or families."
Unfortunately, May was also expected to be the company's best month due to the 75th anniversary of VE Day but Carole said they lost "over £5,000 bookings in that month alone".
And the situation has not improved since. Whereas normally the business would have had 250-300 bookings in a three-month period, Carole has only been able to perform five shows - either though outdoor performances or live online.