Let Us Introduce You to... Sharon Cumming - Café Volunteer

I was born in Plymouth in 1957 and was one of six girls. My mum was a very caring person, and I always remember that she wanted to help other people in our community, and this was something instilled in me at an early age.

My Dad was involved in major bridge-building projects.  We moved around a lot during my childhood because of my Dad’s job, and in 1962 we moved to Chepstow. After the completion of the Severn Bridge, which my Dad oversaw, we were on the move again, this time to Pembrokeshire. I was 8 years old.

When I was 16, I left the family home and moved to Tenby to work in the Belgrave Hotel, which was a really positive experience for me, and I enjoyed it immensely. I worked at the hotel until I was 20, and met my husband, and we married in 1977, when I was 20, which seems very young in today’s world, but was the norm back in those days to marry young.

The following year we welcomed our daughter Anna, who was later diagnosed with autism. We then moved the family to Thornbury around 3 years later. Like many people living in that area in those days, my husband worked at Oldbury Power Station.

My first son Gareth was born 5 years later with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). The doctors were not very positive and said that the prognosis was not good for him. Gareth proved the doctors wrong and lived a very happy and successful life. He never once complained about his life or felt sorry for himself; instead, he made the most it and lived life to the full.

We welcomed our second son, Ceri, five years later.

There was a local charity called The Severnside Opportunity Group, which was a playgroup set up for families and children with special needs. I attended with my children as it was a vital resource for the community before children attended school. I later ran the charity, which welcomed children with both physical and learning difficulties, as well as their siblings. I worked in this role for approximately 10 years. It was a significant part of my life, and I got to know and support hundreds of families over that period.

I then worked at New Siblands School in Thornbury, which was a specialist school for children with complex special needs, and I worked there for 17 years. Additional needs have always been a part of my life and what I have always done. I found this work very rewarding over the years.

I was extremely fortunate to go away on many wonderful family holidays to places such as Florida, Egypt and Jamaica, to name but a few. All of these holidays included Gareth, who had significant needs when we were at home and presented many additional challenges when travelling. We would not have considered leaving him out of any trips or holidays. I became a determined advocate and supporter for Gareth to ensure he had the same opportunities as other children. It is still exceptionally hard to travel and fly with disabled children even now, but because it was incredibly challenging back then, we always persevered and he had some fantastic experiences.

After 30 years of marriage, in 2008 I amicably got divorced and moved to Bradley Stoke and met my new partner.

Anna now lives independently in assisted living accommodation with around 10 hours of help each week. Before Gareth’s sad passing in 2022 at age 38, he successfully worked as an Accountant, was a member of MENSA and worked for the MOD. After he passed away, my heart was instantly broken.

Ceri is married to our lovely daughter-in-law, Aimee and is the manager of The Oldbury Power Station and has 3 beautiful children, so I now have three amazing granddaughters who are aged 16, 12 and 9.

I retired 5 years ago but found it hard not to do anything every day; the lack of routine was difficult. Before Gareth died, he encouraged me to volunteer and be part of a community.

In 2023, I became a volunteer at The Brightwell. I now volunteer in the Café, and this is the best thing that I have ever done.  The café is the hub of the Centre; there is always a great vibe where many different conversations are had each day. Volunteering at The Brightwell has helped me with the overwhelming grieving process and navigating retirement too.

When Gareth died, I took on responsibility for his Chihuahua called  Zeus, who has been an incredible support to me over the past years. He licks the tears away on those days when it is really difficult. He means everything to me, and I cannot imagine him not being around.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my story and finding out more about me.

So next time you are in the Café, come and say hello; it will be great to have a chat.

Thanks and Best Wishes

Sharon x