YOPEY Befrienders from a school and a college in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, were celebrated at an awards event at the care home they have been visiting for many months.
Sixth-form students from Hinchingbrooke School and health and social care students from the Huntingdon campus of Cambridge Regional College (CRC) have been visiting residents at Hunters Down care home in Hartford Road since before Christmas.
The YOPEY Befrienders tended to visit weekly for an hour or two, joined in activities with the residents, played games and had conversations with the elderly.
YOPEY founder Tony Gearing MBE said: “Keeping people with dementia mentally and physically active is believed to slow the progress of these terrible diseases.
“At the same time teenagers born in the 21st century are learning about the 20th century. Many people living in care homes nowadays were children in the Second World War. The young get to learn about the 1940s, 50s and 60s from people who were there.”
Hunters Down Manager Anca Markley said: “The people living at Hunters Down Care Home really valued the presence of the YOPEY Befrienders. Their visits filled our care home with a delightful sense of companionship, immensely benefiting everyone involved.
“Through meaningful interactions and shared experiences, these intergenerational sessions brought joy, laughter, and a renewed sense of purpose to the lives of the people who call Hunters Down ‘home’.
“We are very grateful to the students for their visits. Their impact was truly remarkable, reminding us all of the power of these important bonds within our community.”
Seven teenagers were presented with certificates and rewards by the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Bharat Khetani. Dr Khetani, a retired GP, said he was “extremely delighted to see youngsters engaged in such a worthwhile activity befriending lonely residents, many with declining cognitive function”.
