One of life’s good guys

ACCOLADE: Dennis Roberts receives his award from Steve Matthews and Maggie Hurley.

A KIND-HEARTED Oldham pensioner has been honoured for the invaluable support he gives to a young blind man.

Dennis Roberts was a winner in the Supporting Life’s Journeys Mentoring and Befriending Recognition Awards — designed to recognise volunteers and organisations that have made a special difference to people’s lives.

The 83-year-old has been volunteering with Age Concern for the past nine years and for the last five has helped an Oldham man, who is blind and has lived alone since his parents died.

Dennis visits him a couple of times a week and takes him in his car to visit his brother who is also blind and lives a couple of miles away — otherwise the only contact between the siblings would be over the telephone.

The man, who lives in sheltered accommodation, said: “Dennis has become my life — we have such a laugh together. He is a really smashing guy and without him I would never get to spend time with my brother.”

Dennis, originally from Wales, said: “You don’t expect an award for things like that. It’s encouraging and shows I must be doing something right.”

The widower, who has a son and daughter, added: “I’m happy to do it and it’s good for me as well — we have become good friends. I do find it satisfying helping the lad. It’s something I can do and something I seem to be good at.

“I have always felt a lot of empathy for people and it can be a pretty rough world for a lot of us so we should help each other. If I can make life better for them it becomes better for me.”

Dennis also volunteers with Age Concern Oldham’s Intergenerational Project, sharing his thoughts, memories and life experiences with children in schools.

Maggie Hurley, volunteer co-ordinator for Age Concern Oldham, said: “Deserve an award? He deserves the greatest accolade known to man. I just wish I could clone him and share his care, love, commitment and understanding with everyone.”

The awards are part of a national campaign called Supporting Life’s Journeys, to celebrate and support those who help to address poverty and social exclusion through mentoring and befriending.

The North of England winners support people through a diverse range of challenges and problems and included a volunteer mentor at Bolton Lads and Girls’ Club who’s given more than 1,000 hours of service

Steve Matthews, chief executive of the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, said: “It was really difficult for the judges to choose between so many diverse examples of excellence, so we really would like to congratulate the winners — they are incredibly special to have got one of these awards.”

The regional winners will now be entered in the national awards, to be announced on December 15.