A 71-year old has been recognised at a national awards ceremony for his energy and contribution to the care home where he lives.
Despite living with dementia Graham Mason, a resident at Bilney Hall near Dereham, has made a real impact on the lives of residents and staff.
And today he is celebrating after being presented with the Best Resident Contribution award at the National Dementia Care Awards 2017.
Mr Mason, who is originally from Lyng, moved to the home in November last year.
He lives with vascular dementia and suffers from left-side weakness. Despite being in receipt of daily care himself, he goes out of his way to help those around him.
Mr Mason is often found 'at work' in the home in his high-vis jacket. He takes great pride in helping to look after the gardens, assisting with the upkeep, getting involved in everything from weeding, dead-heading, re-planting, and pruning, to watering flowers. More recently, he has been involved with helping create the home's brand new Sensory Garden, which was officially opened this summer to mark Bilney Hall's 150th anniversary.
He is also a keen member of the home's bird club and ensures that the bird feeders around the grounds are replenished daily.
Since coming to live at Bilney Hall, Mr Mason says he has re-gained his confidence and self-respect, and has transformed into a happy character who has become a central part of life at the home. He said: 'I do what I do at Bilney Hall because it's my home and I want to play my part. Before having a stroke, I served on the Lyng Parish Council. I'm used to being busy and so I do what I can to help.'
Home Manager Jenny Daynes said: 'We are so proud that Graham has won this award and is receiving the recognition he deserves. He really supports the home in many ways. The help he provided in with the sensory garden has been amazing. He also has a great ability to calmly sit and talk with other residents and put those at ease who may be feeling anxious or confused.
'Since he came to Bilney Hall, the change we have seen in Graham is really quite remarkable and we would like to publicly thank him for the contribution he makes to life here, and congratulate him on receiving the recognition he deserves.'
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