Gerard (Ged) Flynn

My given name is Gerard, but people call me Ged. I was born in Stretford, Manchester, in January 1956. I moved to Oxford, with my family, in 1966 and, apart from 15 years living abroad, have lived in Oxfordshire since. 

I spent my working life in research and development, working as a chemist, first for the government and then at the Banbury laboratory of the Canadian Aluminium company, Alcan.

I live in Bloxham, with my wife Lynn. We are both retired, and my interests include, playing the guitar, working with wood, DIY (not really an interest, we own an old house), and listening to music. 

I became aware of Dementia Active through meeting a current volunteer, Pat Moore. Pat and I met around two years ago and regularly get together to play guitar and generally make a racket. I wanted to volunteer and play a small part to support this groups valuable work.

Len has lived in Banbury for over 20 years, after moving from Manchester with his wife and daughter. He retired eight years ago, following ten years in the RAF and a subsequent career in IT. 

Born in Plymouth, he grew up in an era when children were relatively safe to roam independently, so Dartmoor became his playground, and he still returns there with his dogs for short breaks. Shortly after he retired, Len’s wife, Tina, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. 

Len spent six years as her primary caregiver until she moved into a care home in Banbury where he continued to be actively involved in her care until she passed away in 2023. Today, Len keeps himself busy with his home flight simulator, his interest in the Battle of Britain, his dogs, and a budding interest in photography. 

If asked why he volunteers with Dementia Active, he explains that he is simply giving back for all the love and support he and Tina received on her dementia journey. He also genuinely enjoys the company of people living with dementia, as they can be such fun.  

Len writes a blog which can be viewed here.

Rebecca initially trained as a nurse. Whilst raising her family, she moved into the field of education working as a teaching assistant, supporting children at primary school level.
 

During these years, Rebecca and her family volunteered as respite foster carers for a child with complex needs.
 

She eventually returned to Health and Social Care, working for a reablement service in the community, then latterly as a therapy assistant in a hospital setting.
 

Through both personal and work experience, Rebecca has seen the difficulties faced by people with dementia and their families. On hearing about Dementia Active and the support it provides, she felt driven to volunteer for this much needed service. 

Trish was born in South Wales but moved when she was six to live in South London. After leaving school she went into banking, working as a secretary. Following the birth of her two daughters, she attained a degree in Education then taught, later becoming Special Needs Coordinator and then became an Advisor.

 After retiring from her last job, the National Pyramid Trust, a charity set up for children lacking in self-esteem, Trish began volunteering with many different charities.

 On moving to Oxfordshire some 15 years ago Trish volunteered for ARCH, helping slow readers in primary schools. At the same time, she started volunteering at the Mill Arts Centre and joined the Milltown Singers.

 During this time a close relative was diagnosed with dementia and she wanted to find out more about it. Trish volunteered for a Dementia Cafe in Banbury. She heard about Dementia Active, came to a session and was so impressed by the team, she wanted to be part of it. Trish says, “The sessions are full of love and joy, and I am so happy to be part of this wonderful organisation.”

Born in 1952, Jeanne decided to join the army, a bold choice for a seventeen-year-old girl from Chipping Norton.

Discharged six years later, with newfound wisdom, she relocated to the bustling town of Banbury. After various driving roles, Jeanne settled into a position at Tesco, where she remained until retirement.

Having cared for her mother through a deeply personal battle with dementia, Jeanne chose to volunteer with Dementia Active, feeling it was the right time to give back. 

Jeanne reflects, "Working with the members at Dementia Active feels like I'm contributing in honor of my mother."

Phil has been serving as a volunteer driver for Dementia Active since just before Christmas 2023. In addition to driving, he assists in sessions, primarily providing one-to-one support for members. Phil finds participating in the Tuesday sessions, where he picks up and drops off members, immensely fulfilling.

Phil transports members from Syresham, Chipping Norton, Chacombe, and occasionally Cropredy. He relishes the interactions with members during the drives, many of whom face various communication challenges. Phil remarks, "It's an incredible learning experience for me, as I've never been involved in this field before."

Phil is also a digital assistant at the Banbury library, a role he finds equally demanding.

Kim is English but was born in Switzerland, then spent most of her childhood in the USA (mostly Wisconsin, in the Midwest), back in Switzerland, and then studied in the States. More recently she's lived in the Bicester area and Banbury. Kim trained as a scientist (PhD type of Dr), then moved into scientific and medical publishing, for a very satisfying career. 

After a last move into medical communications (med comms), she retired slightly early in 2023 (lucky with an earlier redundancy that paid off the remaining mortgage). Kim is a very keen amateur photographer, which includes helping run the Kidlington Photo Group (see www.Flickr.com/photos/kimbenson45 ). 

She also sings, acts and dances! Banbury Operatic Society, Cherwell Choral Society, Launton Village Players, Bicester Choral & Operatic Society… Kim's mother and friends have had dementia, so when she saw an advert for Dementia Active volunteers, she wanted to help. It’s a great group of staff, volunteers and members, with a good combination of brain activities, socialising, food, music and movement. 

Mary is a retired Social Worker having worked with children and families for over 40 years. She enjoys meeting people and for 20 years ran Banbury Folk Club and Festival with her husband Derek.

She loves all sorts of music and particularly enjoys the musical activities at Dementia Active.  

Andy has been a volunteer driver for Active Dementia since July 2023, offering a small but meaningful contribution by helping individuals with dementia get to and from the centre. 

While Andy’s role is modest, he’s seen first hand how these gatherings light up the faces of those who attend, proving that a bit of company and a cup of tea can work wonders for the soul. Having lived in Brackley for six years with his wife and two children, Andy values the strength of community and the importance of small acts of kindness. 

Alongside his full-time role at Accenture, an IT consulting company, he makes time for volunteering, believing that even a little effort can go a long way in brightening someone’s day.