Stories from John Storer Charnwood
Janet
A Place of Happy Faces
From the time you walk in the door, you see happy faces. People from all walks of life. different ages, different abilities, different nationalities, and it’s just a place of enjoyment and just friendship, a warm place during wintertime and summertime.
Richard
Talking to People
It’s amazing how many people recognize me and stop and talk to you, and they tell you all about where they’ve come from, what they’re doing, going back on the buses, and everything… talking to people instead of, not seeing anybody or talking to anybody.
Janet’s Story
[00:00:00] Sal: Tell me what you do here at John Storer House.
Janet: Well, I’m visiting, John Storer House today because of my daughter. My daughter comes along to the drama group which is held every Thursday. It is the highlight of her week and if she could she would have every day being a Thursday. She’s reliant on me for transport. I don’t live in this county, so I do a 80 mile round trip to pick her up.
[00:00:31] Janet: For But then my reward is seeing my daughter, when she walks in here, she’s a different person. She might be very grumpy when I pick her up. And as soon as she walks in to John Storer’s, the doors open, and it’s a different personality altogether. It brightens up her day. she cannot wait to get here. She charges off from the car to get into John Storer House.
[00:00:55] Janet: She’s got to know the lady in the charity shop, and her husband, [00:01:00] and she’s just so lovely and welcoming so from the first time she steps into John’s Storer House, to walking in and being met by all the others, she just loves coming here, and I love seeing her enjoyment. she’s been coming for about the last two and a half years, She loves all the activities we do.
[00:01:19] Janet: just meeting all the other people. just having fun every time she comes. She’s here and, Normally her concentration span would, wane quite quickly, but she’s here for two hours, sometimes two and a half hours, and loves it, when I speak to her on the phone, she says, it’s today, Thursday.
[00:01:37] Janet: So yes, I just love coming along here from the time you walk in the door, you see happy faces in the restaurant section. People from all walks of life. different ages, different abilities, different nationalities, and it’s just a place of enjoyment and just friendship, a warm place during [00:02:00] wintertime and summertime.
[00:02:02] Janet: The tireless efforts of all the ladies in the kitchen, producing very tasty, hot and cold, reasonably priced food. food, delicious cakes and cookies, which is always very tempting when we stand in a queue ordering our tea. we just got to know everybody here and maybe not by name, but by face. it’s like a little family here.
[00:02:26] Janet: And as I said, when you look around at the others, they’re groups of ladies, friends meeting up and men folk meeting up and people from various care centers that are brought along. Just such a happy, warm place. So, I just wanted to say, a thank you to all the, I’m getting emotional here. That’s been, yep, so good.
[00:02:51] Janet: It’s been a wonderful, experience being introduced to John Storer House. Sorry if I’m just, that’s fine. Let me [00:03:00] get myself together here, I’m being silly. But yes, it’s just, you know, very fortunate that we once met a volunteer that was working here a while out in Loughborough city centre and they mentioned it and yet probably my daughter’s been in the area for about 11 years and didn’t really know about it so it was wonderful that she mentioned it and we came along and just got such a wonderful welcome.
[00:03:27] Janet: Sorry I’m just being very emotional but it’s made such a big difference to her that 2 hours. So I just want to thank everybody that works here. And, yes, long may their doors open and keep, caping for all the community that, they’re so fortunate having, access to this warm and welcoming and happy place. Sorry about that. I don’t know whether how to say all of that without tears.
[00:03:55] Sal: No, it’s absolutely fine. It’s very clear. if you’re happy for that to stay [00:04:00] on the film, that’s
[00:04:01] Janet: Yeah, I think people don’t realize, how it fills a space in lots of people’s lives. Coming here. The wonderful activities they’ve got here. It can, be for all sorts of people, fitness, art, music, all sorts of gatherings. So, maybe, yes, I need to get the word out. it has been like a little family. as I’ve said before, we walk in and know all these faces It’s such a warm welcome.
[00:04:31] Janet: And your daughter normally likes you to stay with her in the drama group. I, in the beginning I never, supported her. Right. but because of the concentration lack it was suggested they wanted to know how they could help, which was lovely.
[00:04:47] Janet: And I said, well, probably if she had support. ’cause I saw other clients coming along with support workers. I just felt that it would probably benefit, and it really does, and I enjoy the class as much [00:05:00] as she does. yes, it’s just fun being there I don’t really feel as though I’m doing any work.
[00:05:06] Sal: I’m having fun at the same time with her, and I managed to keep her there for the two hours, which is very long when people just aren’t able to. concentrate for long periods of time. That’s great. So tell me about a typical day when you come here with your daughter. What do you do?
[00:05:27] Sal: Yes, we pick her up and we park up and we always, as I said, welcome by the lady at the charity section. What I find so wonderful is that She provides special ablutions for people with disabilities, which is really fantastic because I’m able to go in with her and just manage.
[00:05:49] Janet: Sometimes we need to change her clothing because she’s not suitably dressed for the day, so it gives us all the space, it’s just really such a good space to be able [00:06:00] to help out when I have to. and then we always queue up to wait for the tea room to open the Coffee and the teas and the delicious cakes, which we always support.
[00:06:10] Janet: and then it’s time for meeting up with all the other clients that are coming along to enjoy the lesson. So it’s a bit of a social interaction with all her peer groups that are there. we start at about 10 and have a little break in between. If it’s miserable weather we go and sit in the tea room and have something to drink or during our break we sometimes just go to Queen’s Park which is a two minute walk and sit there for our 10 minute break in nature then we come back and do the last hour say goodbye to everybody and look forward to the next Thursday.
[00:06:47] Sal: Have you made any connections yourself with any of the other people that support the members of the group?
[00:06:52] Janet: Oh yes, I know all the volunteers that work there. What is so lovely is during our lesson we share a little bit of [00:07:00] news. So we get to really know the people. And the staff also get to know the people. ’cause they always ask the appropriate questions ’cause they know their favorite football teams or what they like to cook. And so it’s really a lovely time in the morning getting to know the other people a little bit better. It’s not just during the lesson, we are actually getting to know each other.
[00:07:20] Janet: So as I said, sometimes it’s like a family. Yes. Because you know they’ve been on holidays, you want to hear when they get back what they did. And so we are able to share. So that’s what happens during the lessons. Most of the others perhaps stay and have an extra meal, but time constraints, we need to get her back to her accommodation.
[00:07:41] Sal: so you’ve talked about the positive impact on you and on your daughter coming here, but what would you say for you is the best thing about coming here?
[00:07:53] Janet: As I said, just seeing the enjoyment of my daughter, the pleasure that she gets is really, a [00:08:00] reward, for travelling here.
[00:08:02] Janet: it’s a hub, you can sit and look at all these groups of people. you’ve got the walkers that come along, the others that are less able, they’re all provided for here, you see groups of friends meeting up regularly on a Thursday and just seeing that this hub provides for the community.
[00:08:20] Janet: You know, it’s not just geared to one specific age group. It’s all age groups and all abilities and all interests. And it’s just a wonderful, wonderful place. And speaking to the staff that work here, saying, They’re so proud to be able to work here, which is important. They enjoy coming here, they know that they’re contributing.
[00:08:44] Janet: The volunteers come along, they can see that, they’re really needed to come along here and help out. And I’m sure they themselves, the fact that they come back and they’ve been here, some of the volunteers, as long as my daughter’s been coming along, means that they too are [00:09:00] getting something out of it as well, coming and volunteering here.
[00:09:03] Sal: What do you think the best thing for your daughter is about coming here, as far as you can tell?
[00:09:09] Janet: It’s just being accepted, just being welcomed. It’s amazing, just, just seeing everybody just being, as they, as they, because we are one of the early, early arrivers here and we sort of sit and we watch, doesn’t matter who comes in through the doors that belong to their group, everybody gets such a warm welcome. We’ve had one person that’s been away for some time and it was just amazing to see the support when they all rushed over to welcome this person back again.
[00:09:39] Janet: and encourage them to, you know, to try and get back again as soon as they possibly could. It was just, as I said, it was like family, I think it’s just being accepted and being part of a group. Yes, that’s great.
[00:09:52] Sal: my final question, which, you’ve partly answered is, can you tell me any ways in which coming here has impacted or changed your life?[00:10:00]
[00:10:00] Janet: Well, it’s an outlet as well, spending time with my daughter, and knowing that she appreciates being brought here. every day could be a Thursday, she would just love to come in.
[00:10:10] Janet: It’s just lovely being with her. it’s such a wonderful place where she can spend time away from. where she is and just mixing with others. I think that, is very important is being able to socialize and just to feel you’re back in, normal society.
[00:10:28] Janet: you’re not pigeonholed. You’re mixing with all sorts of people here. my daughter’s very chatty. she chats to everybody. she loves coming here because she’s able to interact with people. I think that’s the biggest thing, being accepted and interacting with life.
[00:10:42] Sal: Good, thanks. That’s lovely. So is there anything else that
[00:10:46] Sal: has not been covered
[00:10:46] Janet: No, just to thank everybody who volunteer here. and, you know, Candy as well, I just remember the day meeting her and straight away the welcoming and finding out what she would [00:11:00] like to do encouraging her to come along to, a taster session.
[00:11:04] Janet: we never turned back every day that I can get here on a Thursday, I always make sure nothing else can be booked I have to get her here and she loves it and I enjoy being with her as well,
[00:11:15] Janet: As I said, maybe they need to advertise more. Because she’d been in the area for 11 years and didn’t know about it. luckily, we found about it.
[00:11:24] Janet: I was going to say, it’s meant a lot to us. That’s why I’ve got happy tears. It’s not sad tears. They’re definitely happy tears. It’s made my daughter happy. It’s amazing.
Richard’s Story
[00:00:00] sal: So tell me what you do here at John Storer, Richard, and what you have done in the past as well, because I think you’ve had a number of roles, is that right?
[00:00:06] Richard: now or when I first started?
[00:00:08] sal: Tell me what you do now and we can ask what you did before.
[00:00:11] Richard: I, clear the tables in the cafeteria, 11. 30 to 1. 30, I come here to the PT classes. Monday and Thursday. And I come to the lunch club Tuesday and Friday.
[00:00:24] sal: Okay, yeah.
[00:00:25] Richard: It’s a week’s work.
[00:00:28] sal: Yes, Full time job.
[00:00:30] Matt: Some of that is volunteering in the cafe, clearing things. And the other thing is, you’re taking part in
[00:00:35] Richard: Yes, taking part in, the activities in John Storerr.
[00:00:40] sal: what’s your history here I believe you had some other roles in the past.
[00:00:44] Richard: Yes, I started. ten years ago.
[00:00:47] Came here to see if they wanted anyone to volunteer. And, I started driving. Five days a week for ten years. Until I, reached the age of [00:01:00] 85. The liability insurance doesn’t cover me anymore, so. I had to, stop driving, that’s when I started clearing the tables.
[00:01:08] sal: so they’ve relied on you for a long time then?
[00:01:11] Richard: Five days a week? Yes.
[00:01:12] half past seven in the morning, or quarter to eight till, five o’clock at night. I covered 160, 000 miles.
[00:01:21] sal: That’s a lot.
[00:01:22] Richard: I really loved it. with all the different people. Taking back and forward.
[00:01:28] sal: Yes. So you met lots of different people over those 10 years, I imagine?
[00:01:31] Richard: Oh, yes, yes, yes. Wow. So, uh, and I mean, everyone was sociable As well. You know, it was good, really. It really kept me going, because after my wife died, I’ve got nothing to do, so then, I started.
[00:01:46] sal: So I guess that if you were driving all that time, you met lots of people, you see them still here,
[00:01:50] Richard: Yes, yes, the lunch club, the drama group. Those as well. I know quite a few of them. Right. Which I’ve been taking backwards and [00:02:00] forwards and just keeps them going now.
[00:02:02] sal: So a mixture of volunteering and coming here as a customer. Yes. how long have you been coming here and how often do you come?
[00:02:09] Richard: Well, ten years last April. I’m in the eleventh year now.
[00:02:13] So, I should be here for a bit longer yet.
[00:02:15] what are the good changes, the positive changes you’ve seen over that time?
[00:02:18] the shop, the shop’s nice now. it wasn’t there before,The cafeteria keeps altering, tables and chairs, and different areas, so there’s nothing, the same. It all, everything keeps altering, which makes it better really, because it’s different.
[00:02:40] sal: Yeah.
[00:02:41] Richard: all the people upstairs, In the offices, I mean they’re brilliant really, you can talk to them, any time.
[00:02:50] sal: And you feel supported by them, do you, the staff? So if you, if you needed some help or you wanted to ask a question, you could just go and find someone and ask them?
[00:02:59] Richard: Oh [00:03:00] yes. Yes, I mean, most of them know, something about everything, I mean, There’s Matt, there’s Candy, Karen, all them. you can just talk to them, ask them questions andif they don’t know the answer they say who does know the answer. So it’s very good really.
[00:03:21] sal: Great, yes. So. So, what drew you to John Storer in the first place? You said that you wanted something to do when your wife passed away, so, why John Storer?
[00:03:33] Richard: Well, yes, after my wife passed away, then I’ve got nothing to do. I just sat at home, done a bit of gardening or cleaning and everything. one of the daughters said, oh for goodness sake, get out and do something.
[00:03:52] Go to John Storer and see if they want any help. And, uh, I came to John Storer. They said, have you got a [00:04:00] license? I said, yes. Have you got a car? Yes. Can you start tomorrow? But then, I had to wait until I had a, is it a D, DBS check I’ve just carried on from there. Right.
[00:04:17] it’s kept me going really because, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been here now, you get depressed and everything. But, uh, I mean now nearly 86 and I just keep on, keep on coming.
[00:04:32] sal: How did your daughter know about John Storer House?
[00:04:36] Richard:
[00:04:37] we’ve lived in Loughborough. A long time, it was just Here, every time we come into the into town, John Storer House was here, and, we’d been in for a coffee it was a nice place to meet up And, uh, I think that’s how We, uh, well, she knew [00:05:00] that,it’s a volunteering, uh, place, so, uh, she just said, go there.
[00:05:08] sal: Yes, a lot of people know about John Storer, even if they’ve never been here. I spoke to some people. When I’ve taken them to the hospital or to the doctors they’d never been to John Storer House, but they knew, of it through people, through ringing up and getting transport, I bet your daughter never foresaw that ten years later you’d still be coming here five days a week and still working here. No.
[00:05:39] Richard: No, because soon after I, started here, her and her husband and two children disappeared to Australia.
[00:05:48] sal: Oh, wow. Are they still there now? Yes. Yes, oh gosh. Have you been over?
[00:05:55] Richard: Yes.
[00:05:55] sal: Oh, lovely.
[00:05:56] Richard: So, but, uh, not since [00:06:00] coronavirus.
[00:06:00] I know you’re not driving now, but tell us about a typical day,
[00:06:03] Well the office did ask me if I would do four days a week from Melton Mowbray to Seagrave and back to Loughborough.
[00:06:13] And another one was from Thurmaston to Asfordby back to Loughborough. And I said, yeah, that’s okay. So in the morning it used to be. Melton Mowbray to be there at half past eight and then pick them up at four o’clock in the afternoon. So it was, from eight o’clock till four, half past seven till probably five o’clock I got home.
[00:06:40] in the meantime then there was doctors taking ladies to the doctors, all the gentlemen, and to the three hospitals in Leicester in the daytime, bringing lads and girls from homes into [00:07:00] here for the drama group and also to take them to a place in Seagrave called, Paul’s Farm. And, it was, traveling all the time sometimes and you miss lunch because Candi would say can you do this one can you do that or i’ve got a list what to do and i said one day i said there was too many in on the sheet. So she said, well, I’ll look at it. She looked at it and she reduced the lines on the paper. So when I looked at it was only half a sheet instead of a full one. Uh, you know. That’s sneaky. Did you have to get stronger glasses to see it? That’s right. I said I couldn’t see them,
[00:07:57] what would you say is the best thing about coming [00:08:00] here? getting out, getting out of the house and meeting people. I mean, I’ve been clearing the tables since. April, I think it was, when I stopped driving.
[00:08:12] And, uh, it’s amazing how many people recognize meand stop and talk to you when you’re clearing the plates, and they tell you all about where they’ve come from,what they’re doing, going back on the buses, and everything. And, the community bus drivers, I know all those, so they’re always in and, having a word with those.
[00:08:38] talking to people instead of, not seeing anybody or talking to anybody. then, for the keep fit and, Probably the only man in the class of 20, but I don’t mind that, as long as I can, you know, keep [00:09:00] going, I want to keep fit as I can,
[00:09:02] sal: That’s a good philosophy. Have you noticed a difference doing the Keep Fit?
[00:09:10] Richard: oh yes. Yes, I know my legs. See, I’ve got two metal knees, two metal hips, and a metal shoulder. it does me good to, come here and, do the exercises. Which, if you’re at home, you’re walking or just doing nothing really.
[00:09:30] But here, you’ve got to do it sort of thing. Yeah, you’ve got to. It keeps me going all the way round.
[00:09:41] Matt: And what do you think about Kaz? Kaz is the trainer.
[00:09:45] Richard: Absolutely brilliant. you’ve never met one like that before. She’s so agile, I mean, when you, when you, see what, she says, do this, do that, and she can do it. But we only half do it, [00:10:00] but, she doesn’t say you’ve got to do it, you haven’t, you just do what you can. it’s great really. She’s just one in a million.
[00:10:11] Matt: Tell me a bit about the lunch clubs.
[00:10:13] Richard: Oh, the lunch, oh, I don’t know about, I don’t think I’d better tell you about the lunch club.
[00:10:19] sal: Tell us more.
[00:10:19] Richard: Well, the meals, the meals are so good. If there’s any left over, they bring it to me. I have two main courses and two puddingson a Tuesday and a Friday, which puts me up for the week and the weekend.
[00:10:40] the, people on the table, we all get talking and joking and laughing and yeah, all talk to each other. And, all the other tables, we talk to each other on the other tables and it really is, a lunch out, It’s not [00:11:00] just sit there and just eat your lunch and then go.
[00:11:02] Everybody talks to everybody or shouts across from one table to another. And it’s brilliant really. the food’s brilliant.
[00:11:12] sal: And they make it all on site, do they?
[00:11:14] Richard: Yes, yes, it’s all in the kitchen. Yeah. And, they all know me now that, if there’s any left over, they always bring it to me.
[00:11:21] it’s worth coming All the other people that come, it is great. You can’t fault it really. you get talking to people and you hear all their ailments and everything. it’s just One big happy family sort of thing. you can talk to anybody and, that’s it.
[00:11:43] how has coming to John Storer, impacted on your life or changed your life, Oh it’s changed it a lot I don’t know what I, I don’t know what I’d have done without John Storer. John Storer. And, I’ve got to [00:12:00] keep coming because otherwise I wouldn’t be, I wouldn’t be any good whatsoever. I’d just finish up doing nothing. it gets me out of bed in the morning.
[00:12:11] I’m looking forward to coming here. And, it’s great. I really enjoy it. Anybody that’s, Anybody that’s, Sorry. You know, anybody that’s on their own or, doesn’t know what to do or anything like that, they’ve got to come here. it’s brilliant.
[00:12:44] sal: Is there anything else you want to tell us about Richard?
[00:12:46] Richard: the cafe’s usually pretty full on a Thursday when I’m clearing the table.
[00:12:52] I don’t know about the rest of the week, because I’m either in the lunch club here or in, Keep Fit. [00:13:00] But, oh, anybody, they should come here. If they’re either feeling lonely or anything, they’ve got transport to get here. And, it’s wonderful, really. I couldn’t, I can’t fault it.