Stories about YOPEY Dementia Befriender (YDB) schemes in 2019
We started 2019 with YOPEY Dementia Befriender (YDB) schemes running in 13 places.
Among these are sixth-formers going in to care homes in Chelmsford, Norwich, Nottingham and Watford. We have started our first scheme in Bedfordshire in Leighton Buzzard, also using sixth-formers.
Younger secondary school pupils are going into other care homes Cambridge and Watford.
We have two schemes running in two semi-rural areas of Suffolk with several more planned as we endeavour to make YOPEY's home county the 'Beacon for Befriending'.
Cambidgeshire is also earmarked for major expansion.
We are also working for a second year with our first primary school, Burton End in Haverhill. You can see a film about our youngest volunteers on Youtube.
Our schemes in West Bridgford, Notts, and Wymondham, Norfolk, are in their fifth and third year respectively.
YOPEY founder Tony Gearing MBE said: "In 2019 we are poised for our biggest expansion yet."
Third year of Thomas Gainsborough YDBs focus on 100% dementia home
Teenagers from a Suffolk school have been trained to make friends with elderly people living with dementia.
The sixth-formers from The Thomas Gainsborough School (TGS) in Great Cornard were recruited by the Suffolk charity YOPEY and trained by the charity at the Mellish House care home in the village. This is the second year of TGS students to visit Mellish House and the third year the Great Cornard secondary has taken part in the YOPEY Dementia Befriender scheme.
Once they have passed checks by the Government’s
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Vandyke 6th formers blaze Befriender trail in Bedfordshire
Teenagers from a Leighton Buzzard school have been trained to be ‘YOPEY Dementia Befrienders’ and make friends with elderly people living with dementia.
The sixth-formers from Vandyke Upper School were recruited by the charity YOPEY and trained by YOPEY founder Tony Gearing and his wife Jo at the Vandyke Road school.
Since passing checks by the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the young people have started visiting residents at Carrington House, also in Vandyke Road.
About
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Cambridge year 10s make friends with care home residents
Photographs by Chris Fell
Year 10s from a Cambridge school have been trained to make friends with elderly people living with dementia and are now visiting residents in a local care home.
The 14 to 15 year-olds from Chesterton Community College were recruited by the charity YOPEY and were trained by the charity's founder Tony Gearing.
They are now visiting residents weekly at Langdon House, Union Lane, where about two-thirds of the residents have dementia and some of them rarely get visitors.
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Chelmer Valley year 12 in first Chelmsford Befriender scheme
Photographs by Paul Sanwell
Teenagers from a Chelmsford school have been trained to make friends with elderly people living with dementia and are now visiting a local care home.
The sixth-formers from Chelmer Valley High were recruited by the charity YOPEY and trained at Madelayne Court care home. Both the school and care home are in School Lane, Chelmsford.
Now that they have passed checks by the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the young people have started to walk from their school to visit
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Sir Isaac Newton 6th formers in first YDB scheme in Norwich
Photographs by John Bulpitt
Teenagers from a Norwich sixth form college have been trained to be ‘YOPEY Dementia Befrienders’ and make friends with elderly people living with dementia.
The students from Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form were recruited by the Suffolk charity YOPEY and trained by the charity at the St John’s House care home in Norwich.
Since passing checks by the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the young people have been going weekly from their free school in Bethel
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