Founder of intergenerational care charity awarded MBE

Tony Gearing, founder of the charity YOPEY Befriender, which trains young people how to relate to people with dementia as part of a befriending scheme with care home residents, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Mr Gearing set up the pioneering scheme Young People of the Year (YOPEY)in 2013 after realising how lonely many older people are.

“About one million over-65s feel lonely all or most of the time. There are about one million sixth-formers in the UK and I had this idea – if we could link up a million sixth-formers with a million lonely elderly, the loneliness problem could be cured. Obviously this is hugely ambitious and a few Befriender schemes run by a small charity are not going to cure the problem. But it’s a start.

“After training, the young people are expected to visit their local care home regularly and entertain residents. They can join in general activities or form particular friendships and write their friend’s life history. As well as being a memento for the resident’s family, the life history helps the home to care for the resident.”

The initiative has been a huge success with some teenagers even being inspired to follow a career in care. Tony Gearing’s work has been endorsed by two prime ministers, one deputy prime minister and a chancellor among other national figures.

Logan Logeswaran, managing director of the Runwood Group, the first of several care home companies to use YOPEY Befriender, said: “I have seen for myself the results of the scheme in our care homes, which I believe will educate all the students that participate to have a better understand of the elderly and the people who care for them, and in turn make these young people better citizens in the future.

“Tony’s enthusiasm for his work and the effort he puts into making it right for everyone involved is worthy of recognition in the honours list.”

Mr Gearing, who was formerly a deputy editor on the Daily Telegraph, is currently running YOPEY Befriender schemes in eight care homes.

“We are growing fast. I have six new YOPEY Befriender schemes to launch this autumn. It is hugely satisfying work, bringing the generations together in support and friendship,” he said.

Speaking about his honour, he added: “I haven’t achieved this alone. This MBE is for all the young people who are YOPEY Befrienders. They are all helping to bring extra joy into the lives of care home residents and relieve a little of the pressure on care home staff. The young also receive knowledge, wisdom and life lessons that will stand them in good stead for the future.”

Mr Gearing is interested in hearing from care homes that would like to make a donation to the YOPEY charity in return for having a YOPEY Befriender scheme. He is also interested in hearing from companies that provide products or services to care homes who would like to sponsor schemes as a way of promoting their business.

For more information visit yopey.org