Girls get recognised for their work with the elderly

The High Sheriff of Suffolk visited Mellish House dementia care home in Great Cornard to present volunteering certificates to six young people from Thomas Gainsborough School.

The six girls had given well over 100 hours of their time to the residents of Mellish House, a specialist care home where all the residents have dementia, and its sister care home Hillside, where dementia is not so prevalent but all the residents are old and frail.

They were recruited and trained by the Suffolk charity YOPEY, which stands for Young People of the Year. The charity’s founder Tony Gearing, was present and introduced the High Sheriff, George Vestey, to each of the girls, aged 17 to 18.

The High Sheriff told the girls, and a group of residents who came to the presentation to support them: “It’s so good to see the lovely smiles and bonds of genuine friendship they have built up over your many visits and hours of chatting. I have travelled to all parts of Suffolk this year and I know what a seriously worrying issue isolation and loneliness is for the elderly, exacerbated of course for those with dementia.

“To see you taking time out of your business lives to bridge the generational divide and bring smile and companionship to the residents here is heart-warming – actually inspiring. I am sure it took quite some commitment when you started out but I hope you feel great satisfaction from pushing new boundaries, opening your minds, learning about the complexities of a little-underwood ailment, and bring happiness and companionship to others in their time of need.”

One of the girls, Kyra Nel, said: “We went to Mellish care home to meet and have high tea with the High Sherriff. He had prepared a speech about how he was inspired and was very pleased with all of the work we do with Yopey befriender. It was a very rewarding afternoon as Tony also presented us with Yopey befriender certificates.”

Tony Gearing was made an MBE by the Queen last year “for services to young people in the UK”.

“Having served young people,” said Tony. “I now want to help young people to serve the elderly and hope to create in Suffolk the best intergenerational scheme in the country.

“The partnership between Thomas Gainsborough School’s sixth-form and care homes in the Sudbury area, which is about to enter its third year, is one of the first steps in what I hope will become a well trodden path between schools and care homes across Suffolk.”

YOPEY, which is based in Stradishall, is short for Young People of the Year. Tony has previously run Young People of the Year campaigns in Suffolk and other counties.

The charity now focuses on YOPEY Befriender and is running a dozen schemes across the country but most are in the East of England which Tony wants to make the “Beacon for Befriending”. This YOPEY Befriender scheme is supported by Suffolk Community Foundation and Caring Homes, the owner of Mellish House and Hillside.