Most visitors to Lourdes are probably drawn by the prospect of spiritual healing, but for Katherine, it seems to be more about the men! Katherine is one of the residents at The Manor Cheshire home in Brampton and she tells me they supply very handsome French Male carers when she travels to the famous French shrine.
With us in The Manor’s spacious community area is Lois, one of their regular volunteers. Katherine and Lois have clearly built up a very special relationship. Lois is teaching Katherine how to use a computer and Katherine is teaching Lois how to make necklaces.
Over the next few months I will be involved promoting charities around Huntingdonshire. I’m really keen to support all of the heroic volunteers in our area who give up their time. I want to tell their story of what they do and what they have achieved by volunteering
Leonard Cheshire Disability was set up by the famous RAF Hero. The home here in Brampton has 21 residents.
What really struck me when I visited was that places like The Manor Cheshire Home are not about the buildings but about the incredible people who work and volunteer like Steve who organises fortnightly music therapy sessions. John who has been a resident for just over a year tells me that he is the drummer. Judging by the enthusiasm with which residents Janet and John tell me about how they lead the way with renditions of all the Abba songs this approach really seems to work.
Janet is very chatty and loves to sing
Of course having the right facilities helps but the people are the vital ingredient. Billie is the energetic volunteer co-ordinator at Leonard Cheshire Brampton.
Billie is remarkably honest about her personal journey.
‘I am ashamed to say this but I was the type of person who crossed the road when I saw somebody disabled. I became involved as a volunteer and now I am the volunteer co-ordinator. It’s the best job ever.’
‘We currently have 38 volunteers but in an ideal world I would really like to have three or four volunteers per resident’. Continue reading
rebeccadjanogly 