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Simon Cares For Supersonic Dad

Carer Simon Fossey with his father, Peter.

Simon Fossey is a very busy man; he is a volunteer driver for the Carers’ Centre Bath and North East Somerset, driving people who care for friends or family members to regular events where they can enjoy a well-earned break from their caring role.

“I’m a carer myself, so I know how important it is to get away and have some time to just be yourself. I care for my father, who had a stroke nine years ago and also has emphysema, and since then, my life has completely changed,” explained Simon.

He and his father, Peter, live in Farrington Gurney in north Somerset. Simon lived a full life as a Project Worker helping adult drug users in Oxford until six years ago when his father became so ill he could no longer look after himself.

“Caring for Dad is a bit like being married to him,” said Simon. “I cook and clean, do the shopping and look after him all day every day. My voluntary work for the Carers’ Centre gets me out and about meeting some wonderful people, plus I am helping an organisation that also helps me.”

Though he now has limited movement and tires easily, Peter Fossey is a lively and gregarious gentleman, with an interesting past in aeronautical engineering.

“I was one of the design engineers that worked on Concorde back in the 1970s, though sadly, I never flew in her,” he said, proudly. “I’ve lived all over the world, especially in the Far East and thoroughly enjoyed my life. Now Simon takes care of me – he does everything for me.”

“I try and get out of the house each day.” said Simon. “My volunteering work means I circulate leaflets about the Carers’ Centre to local doctors’ surgeries so that other carers can pick them up and find out about the help and support they could be missing out on.”

There are 16,255 carers in Bath and North East Somerset, and in the UK today, 1 in 10 people provide unpaid care for another person who is sick, frail, disabled, has a mental illness or problem with drugs or alcohol. The Carers’ Centre is a charity and is also part of a national network of Carers’ Centres providing free support, advice, help and breaks for carers.