A Spalding teenager received awards from the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire and YOPEY for being “a great friend to the elderly” in two Spalding care homes over two years.
Eighteen-year-old Matthew Simons first visited residents in St John’s Care Home while in the lower sixth at Spalding Grammar. He went to the care home with many other students from his school. In his final year at school, he switched to Fenchurch House Care Home, Spalding Common.
About 30 Spalding Grammar sixth-formers were trained by YOPEY to befriend and bring comfort to elderly care home residents, many of whom live with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Once trained 17 YOPEY Befrienderswent on to visit the elderly more than once.
Over the two years some of the sixth-formers made many visits to the two care homes, but Matthew, from Holbeach, made the most visits and gave the most of his time and was, according to YOPEY founder Tony Gearing MBE, “a great friend to the elderly”.
In an awards ceremony laid on by Fenchurch House and attended by many of Matthew’s care home friends and his Sixth Form Director and Deputy Director, High Sheriff David Chambers DL, presented Matthew with a certificate, recognising his “outstanding service as a positive role model for young people in the community through your dedication and commitment to the YOPEY Befriender Partnership”.
Mr Gearing presented Matthew with a second certificate for making 52 hours of visits to the two care homes – the highest number of hours given by any Spalding Grammar YOPEY Befriender. Overall the Spalding Grammar sixth-formers made over 200 visits to the two care homes and gave nearly 300 hours of their time.
Matthew said: “I learned a lot about how people cope in old age, and about the challenge of dementia and living the best life they can with these diseases.”
The teenager also told an amusing story. He is a musician, and plays the cornet in the Holbeach Town Band. He took a trumpet to play at St John’s. One resident took exception to him ‘tooting his horn’ and started to advance on him very slowly, as he walked with a stick. Matthew did not feel in any danger, but felt the best thing to do was to stop playing.
Proud Sixth Form Director, Dr Adriana Leadbeater, said: “Being a YOPEY Befriender is a great way for students to give back and see life outside the ‘teenage bubble’. They also learn respect for their elders.”
As well as praising Matthew, Mr Chambers, who is the retired Chairman of the Lindum Group, a large construction company named after the Roman name for Lincoln, said: “There is the ‘smell’ of a great fit here,” referring to Fenchurch House, which is owned by Country Court Care. “The staff work well together as a team, looking after the elderly.”
Matthew has left Spalding Grammar and is awaiting his A-level results. He hopes to go to Leeds University to study Conservation Biology.
Fenchurch House Manager Ganiyu Lawal said: “Being involved in the YOPEY partnership not only created positive experiences for Matthew but also for our residents. Our staff witnessed their relationships develop together. Matthew was a pleasure to have visit Fenchurch and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
YOPEY will be recruiting incoming Year 12s at Spalding Grammar for a new partnership with Fenchurch House this autumn.