Today we reveal the three nominees for Friend of the Year in our countdown to the Examiner Community Awards next Thursday at the John Smith’s Stadium. The winner will be announced at the glittering ceremony hosted by ITN newsreader Nina Hossain who comes from Huddersfield. Tomorrow we will let you know who is on the shortlist in our Sports Personality category.
Loneliness, isolation and having no-one to turn to for help and support can be a terrible burden.
A lady called Sylvia was referred to Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees by her GP as she was undergoing tests for cancer and was very anxious.
She was visited by the charity’s client liaison officer Julie Taylor and what she then discovered shocked her ... but also inspired her to help turn this lady’s life around.
Julie has been nominated by Judith Churley from the charity, who said: “Julie found a very isolated, frightened and vulnerable lady. Sylvia lived by herself with no family close and had no friends. In fact, she had never had any friends so lived totally alone.”
It was also a life of squalor.
Judith added: “Her house had become very rundown and cluttered with no carpet, ramshackle furniture and she was sleeping on a broken old sofa without bothering to change into any nightclothes. She had minimal food in the cupboards and rarely left the house. All this contributed to her growing feelings of anxiety, shame and fear and she had previously refused to engage with any support services.”
Sylvia had been raised by her single mother and lived a solitary existence, bullied at school, isolated and depressed and her mental health had deteriorated to the point she had been institutionalised for a while.
Sylvia was 44 when her mother - her only companion - died and she was left alone in the world and too afraid to even sleep in her own bedroom.
Julie, 53, of Holmfirth, sorted out a deep clean of Sylvia’s house, organised her to receive benefits so she could get a home help, a bed was set up in the living room for her, the house was decorated, a new carpet fitted with Sylvia getting a comfy new sofa and a DVD player to watch all the old films she loved.
Sylvia was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and Julie formed a genuine friendship with her, along with colleague Gunita Collins, 59, of Dalton, taking her to all her hospital appointments, chemotherapy and visiting her when she was admitted to hospital.
They also gave her a birthday party - the first one she’d ever had in her life - inviting everyone who had been involved in her care.
Sadly Sylvia died last June with Julie and Gunita organising her funeral.
Judith said: “We feel proud that Julie and Gunita were able to make the final year of Sylvia’s life one that was happy and fulfilled. They gave her a warm, clean and comfortable home, filled her life with friendship and laughter and made her feel she was worth it.”
Barbara Pogson has saved several lives during her 22 years at Newsome Health Centre Pharmacy ... by spotting people who are seriously ill.
Barbara, 64, of Waterloo, who retired just before Christmas revealed the vital role that chemists can play in looking after people’s health.
Over the years she has had three men come into the pharmacy complaining of indigestion when in fact they were having heart attacks and Barbara has called for ambulances.
She also revealed that many times people have come in saying they are not feeling well and Barbara has insisted they go to their GPs who have then diagnosed serious conditions ranging from jaundice to cancer.
She is a very friendly person who loves being with people.
Her proud daughter, Alisa, said: “She has been such an amazing support over the years to colleagues and customers alike and will be missed by everyone.
“I do realise that many people retire after long service, but I do feel my mum deserves a special mention.
“She has been an amazing support to many poorly people who visit the chemist, both in helping them daily in the chemist, supporting them with shopping, visiting and doing odd jobs in her own time.
“We even had one of my mum’s customers come for Christmas lunch at my house because my mum couldn’t stand the thought of the lady being on her own.
“Then I have lost count of the amount of people whose lives she has saved over the years.
“Sometimes people take the doctor’s word for something and don’t challenge it, but my mum has repeatedly insisted that customers get a second opinion and this has definitely saved numerous lives over the years.”
Barbara said: “I’ve loved every minute in the job.”
Christmas can be a lonely and miserable time for some elderly people.
Big-hearted Suzanne Gunson, 55, and daughters Amy, 32, and Lizzie, 30, decided last year to do something about it and so they launched their own gift appeal called Santa’s Seniors and turned to Examiner readers for help.
They asked people to donate presents and it was massively successful since it was set up in time for Christmas 2016 when they gave gifts to 73 people.
Last Christmas they collected more than 1,200 presents from well-wishers, including Examiner readers.
The project stemmed from an idea first mooted by Amy and the project has run from Suzanne’s Moldgreen home. Suzanne said: “Amy wanted to help older people who don’t have family or pals. She is involved with Meltham Wildlife Centre and is a veterinary nurse. She is a very humanitarian, caring person, involved in charity work and wanted to do something which respects the older generation.”
Last Christmas more than 350 people received three gifts each. Many live in care homes.
Suzanne added: “Although we are spearheading this there is a wonderful team behind us and now Age UK has officially backed us for this year. So many people stepped forward to help us and we could not believe how smoothly it went. The logistics of it all are a bit scary.
“We are already having presents donated for this year so if you have any unwanted birthday gifts then you know where to send them.
“We received the most wonderful range of presents last year. Our mission is to give people a happier Christmas with the knowledge that they have not been forgotten about in their golden years. Older people should be honoured and not become invisible as they sometimes are.”
The gifts ranged from socks and chocolate to soap and books.
The project will carry on again this Christmas and collecting will start in earnest in October.
Follow the project on Facebook at ‘SantasSeniors’.
