Sunderland man wins Greatest Grandparent Award in national competition
A local man is being celebrated after winning the Greatest Grandparent award in this year’s Loving Later Life Awards. George Dunn Keegan, a resident at St. Columba Court, has been recognised for the genuine kindness, care, and concern he shows for his family.
The annual awards run by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life, recognises the achievements of residents who have made a real difference to their communities. A Resident Judging Panel chose winners from over 160 nominations across six categories. The winners were announced by Anchor’s Chief Executive, Sarah Jones, at Anchor’s Wellbeing Fayre, where they received certificates to acknowledge their win, as well as £100 in gift vouchers.
George, affectionately known as “Grandad George”, was nominated for entertaining his seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren with jokes, stories, poems, and maths puzzles. He even writes personalised poems for each of them, tailored to their individual talents and qualities.
“Grandad George is full of joy and laughter. He’s always there for us, whether it’s to share a funny poem or simply listen,” says one of his grandchildren. “He’s such a kind and generous man, and we are all so lucky to have him in our lives.”
According to the judges, George “stood out” for the “time he spent with each grandchild” writing little poems for them and, more importantly, always being “a listening ear”.
Sarah Jones, Chief Executive of Anchor, says: “At Anchor, we are proud to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our residents through our Loving Later Life Awards. So many people who live with Anchor contribute to their communities and make a meaningful difference to others. I’m really pleased our awards recognise and celebrate that fact. Huge congratulations to everyone who won and was nominated.”
For more information on Anchor’s Later Life Awards, visit:
https://www.anchor.org.uk/news-events-blogs/news/announcing-our-loving-later-life-award-winners-2024#:~:text=Our%20Loving%20Later%20Life%20Awards,welcome%20to%20cast%20a%20vote.