This is Beth

She faced barriers, but Beth found a way to connect and make a difference.

From befriending a 99-year-old resident to leading community beach clean-ups, she inspired others along the way.

Beth’s Social Signature lives on.

Beth, a wheelchair user, was desperate to complete the Duke of Edinburgh award but struggled to find a meaningful opportunity to volunteer as part of a team.

With the help of her buddy, Beth and a group of her friends linked up with a local care home, where she befriended a 99-year-old resident who was lonely and isolated. 

Their connection grew and during Covid, they communicated by exchanging letters and then, as restrictions lifted, made jigsaws, played bingo and enjoyed time together in the sensory garden, which she had helped tidy up.

Beth recognised the value of this friendship for both her and the resident, and she invested time listening to the stories they told and collected words of wisdom from these to include in the 100th birthday celebrations she had arranged for her special friend. 

Over time, they discovered each had a keen interest in the needs of the environment and connected with a local charity to organise collective beach cleaning, bringing generations together to make a difference in their local community.

From this initial connection, word of their collaboration quickly spread and inspired other groups of environmentally focused you people to team up and tidy their neighbourhoods.