I have started volunteering for Bramley Elderly Action (BEA), as a befriender and as a photographer.
A befriender is someone “who provides friendly conversation and companionship on a regular basis over a long period of time. Befriending provides an older person with a link to the outside world and often acts as a gateway for other services and valuable support.” Age UK
I visit an elderly lady, who is in her 90’s, for an hour every Sunday afternoon. We chat about our lives, we have lots of stories to tell, and it’s really interesting to listen to someone with 50 years more history behind them than myself. I show her the photography books I have been making each month, and recently introduced her to my dog – a meeting that was truly wonderful, smiles and endorphins in the air, both parties were truly enamoured with each other, I knew my Mickey would make a good therapy dog, he does so well with me.
I have also been taking photographs, on a voluntary basis, of various projects, for BEA. I enjoy meeting new people, and I haven’t managed to do much work recently due to illness, so this is something I want to do to get my confidence back and to ease myself back into seeking work again.
Below are a selection of some of the photos I have taken:
