Martin is 49 and he lives with Down’s syndrome. He had always lived with his parents in Worsley.
After his parents passed away, Martin needed an environment where he would be looked after and would be able to have a level of independence; he grabbed the opportunity to have a home of his own at Amblecote Gardens.
His new home and the support he receives there is creating new possibilities for Martin. He is making new friends, living independently and enjoying being a tenant volunteer on site. Describing how extra care housing had made a difference to his life, Martin said:
“When I first came to look around Amblecote Gardens with my brother Andrew, I was frightened because I had never lived on my own before. Nikki, Nicola, Colin and the team made me feel happy and I now love it here. I love all the staff, they are very kind to me.”
After studying cookery at Worsley College, Martin volunteered in the staff canteen at nearby Tesco for 26 years. For the last three years, he has volunteered at the reception desk at Amblecote Gardens.
“I love my job at Amblecote and I like that I can sit behind the desk. I answer the door and help Paige with the morning checks. I get to wear my badge and I have my picture up on the wall and on the reception desk. I really like to help people. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”
Martin enjoys the social side of life at his new home too as well as his new job.
“I like to come down every morning and speak to the staff in the office and have a cup of coffee with them. I love Nikki, Nicola and Colin and like seeing them every day. I had such a good time at the Amblecote Gardens Dementia Ball – my favourite part was getting to dance with Nikki!”
Martin’s brother Andrew – with whom he plays snooker – has observed the positive impact that the move to Amblecote Gardens has had on Martin’s life: “I have watched Martin completely come out of his shell since moving into Amblecote. It’s so obvious that he feels safe and secure there… I asked Martin the other day if he preferred his job at Tesco, or at Amblecote, and he said Amblecote. Given that he worked at Tesco for 26 years, that says an awful lot about the time and effort that staff at Amblecote have given to making sure he felt welcome and give him a purpose.”
