A inspirational swimmer has vowed to make one last splash, and will complete 30 lengths of her local pool at the grand old age of 94.
Barbara Eyes grew up in the 1950s and 60s, watching her aunt care for her uncle who was living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The condition affects the brain and spinal cord and can lead to problems with vision, arm or leg movement and balance, often requiring round-the-clock care for those with advanced symptoms.
As a primary school teacher in Southport, it was in the 1970s when Barbara met a woman called Olive whilst delivering harvest baskets. She lived with her 80-year-old mother at the time and Barbara would often bring her new friend in to her school and “more or less adopted her in to our class”.
READ MORE:
-
World’s oldest man, 111, says chippy tea each week helped his long life
-
12 pictures from when 10,000 music lovers flocked to Southport for the 1991 Radio 1 Roadshow
After Olive’s mum passed away, Barbara remained friends with her and heard of a new centre opening in town in 1982, Revitalise’s Sandpipers Centre. Located on Fairway, it is now the largest provider of respite care in the UK, it offers around 2,5000 holidays breaks each year, meaning carers can have time off their duties whilst safe in the knowledge their loved one is being cared for.
“I suggested to Olive, let’s raise some money for this new building,” Barbara told LancsLive. “So what we did, we had this big tablecloth and Olive dictated a letter, because she couldn’t use her hands.
“So she dictated this letter and we sent it out to all over the place and we got signatures and donations, so I put it on this cloth.” Olive managed to visit Sandpipers four times, including the time the then Prince Charles opened the Centre.
Barbara says her friend “absolutely loved” going to Sandpipers and emphasised how important these facilities are for individuals living with disabilities, as well as for their families. Unfortunately, Olive passed away only a few years later in 1989 – but Barbara still volunteers to this day.
Barbara has been a volunteer at Revitalise’s Sandpipers Centre for over 40 years – even before the centre itself was built. She says there’s more people who want to visit the centre and have a holiday than they are able to cater for.
Barbara said: “You can imagine looking after somebody who’s in a wheelchair and can’t get out 24/7. You’ve got all of the caring day and night, you can imagine how exhausted you’d feel.
“So this is what it’s all about really, giving the carers respite knowing the disabled person is having a holiday too.”
As her “last big effort” and in memory of Olive, Barbara will swim 30 lengths of a 25m swimming pool at Alvaston Hall during her family holiday later this month. Taking her four days, the swimming will raise money for Sandpipers, a registered charity who rely on public donations.
“I’ve always loved swimming, it’s always been a joy to me,” Barbara said. “So I thought that’s something I can still do at 94.”
You can donate to Barbara’s swimming efforts by visiting her Just Giving page.
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.