The visit was the brainchild of Shahid Khalil who volunteers as a Compassionate Neighbour and has been visiting Ramon at home for several months. Shahid says:
“Ramon has issues with mobility and vision that mean he is housebound, which is why he was referred to Compassionate Neighbours.
“I love visiting him each week and finding out more about his life, as well as his hobbies and interests. Through our time together I’ve learned that one of Ramon’s passions has always been steam trains.
“As a boy he would sit on the trackside near Junction Station and record train numbers. He says that the LMS steam train that ran between St Albans and Watford was his favourite. He later went on to make a working model of this train. Every component, apart from the wheels, was lovingly and painstakingly handmade by Ramon, and it still takes pride of place in his living room.
“Seeing how Ramon lights up whenever he talks about steam trains got me thinking. After a quick web search, I found the St Albans and District Model Engineering Society and made contact to ask whether they might come out to visit Ramon.
“Mike Joseph from the society came out to meet Ramon at home and it was wonderful to see. It turns out that Ramon was a member of the society many years ago and they had so much to discuss. I couldn’t understand a lot of the technical jargon they discussed but I could see how much they both enjoyed the meeting!
“Volunteering as a Compassionate Neighbour can involve giving up as little as an hour per week. That’s really nothing to give up, but makes a huge difference to somebody who is isolated or lonely. I’m really grateful to the St Albans and District Model Engineering Society for responding to my request and visiting Ramon at home as it had such a huge impact on him. Just seeing him reminiscing and really engaging in a topic he loves with someone who is equally passionate was wonderful for me.”
We are currently recruiting new Compassionate Neighbours. To find out more email volunteer@renniegrove.org or call 01727 731020.
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