Matrixcare colleagues pull out all the stops for John and his family

Matrixcare colleagues have been singled out for praise after they pulled out all the stops to support long-term resident John to attend his brother Mark’s wedding.

The bride and groom, Leanne and Mark, who live in Nottinghamshire, were keen to have John attend their wedding as a Groomsman so they organised their wedding breakfast to take place in Ledbury.

John only feels comfortable travelling on public transport and so the wedding needed to be accessible by train.

Six Matrixcare colleagues, Emma Price, Carrie Barker, Renata Tyza-Klekowska, Terence Armes, Nat Downer and Sammy Brinkworth supported John to prepare for, and attend, the wedding.

John sometimes struggles with transitioning to new environments and getting out of the house can often be a challenge. However, the team at Matrixcare know that John often responds well to a fresh face. That is why Terence Armes, a facilitator popular with John, made a point of ‘popping in’ on the morning of the wedding to get John off the sofa and out the door.

Because Emma Price appreciated John would get nervous anticipating the day she visited the hotel on her day off to drop off his suit in advance. She helped him to travel to the venue, get ready ahead of the ceremony and supported him during the ceremony.

Carrie Barker took over from Emma to look after John overnight at the hotel, so that he could enjoy breakfast with his family. And Renata and Nat travelled to the hotel to help John return to Matrixcare by train.

The wedding was the first time that John had met members of his sister-in-law’s wider family. He loved the party after the wedding and danced the night away with his brother Mark.

When he returned to Matrixcare he was full of stories of the day and promptly changed into his PJ’s – a reflection of what a fun, but tiring, time he had had celebrating with his family!

Mark was full of praise for the Matrixcare team. He said: ‘It was touch and go whether John would come to the wedding but with help from the Matrixcare team, it happened! It made the day so special to have him there. He loved the day, chatting up all the ladies at the reception. He clearly had a great time.’

Sammy Brinkworth, Registered Manager at Matrixcare said: ‘Being able to attend your brother’s wedding is something that many people would take for granted but for John this was a huge achievement. The day proved that, with the right support, people with disabilities can lead full and active lives like everyone else. I am so proud of my team and the effort they made to make the wedding one to remember for all involved.’

John’s mum Maria said: ‘It was extra-special for me especially as John and Mark lost their dad during covid. Mark and I cannot thank the Matrixcare team enough.’