Robert Speker is the activities coordinator at Sydmar Lodge, a nursing home near London. Residents of Sydmar have been in lockdown since early March with no outside visitors or external entertainment.
Speker believes that it is his job — and his privilege — to keep the residents entertained during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Elderly people will remain in lockdown for a long time, and I want to make their time as happy and full of enjoyment and interest as possible,” Speker wrote on a GoFundMe campaign post.
“As this situation is on-going, it could be months before the situation changes for them and the need to keep them happy, entertained and full of spirit has never been more crucial.”
Care Home Album Covers
Speker has found many imaginative ways to engage Sydmar’s residents during the lockdown, such as bringing in an entertainer who sang in the garden as the seniors watched from windows. He also arranged for the residents to take online exercise classes led by “The Body Coach” Joe Wicks, and he helped the residents celebrate Beer Day.
Speker’s most popular pastime to date, however, was inspired by a pre-COVID outing when he had taken 93-year-old Sheila to watch and meet performer Rag-n-Bone Man. He shared several photos from the occasion in this Facebook post.
The singer gave his senior fan an autographed album. The gift prompted Speker, apparently a creative stylist and skillful photographer, to help the senior citizens recreate versions of several popular album covers.
Of course, Sheila was one of the first to be styled, as seen in the photos that Speker shared on Twitter on July 10.
— âð ððð£ð¥ ðð¡ðððð£ (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020
Other artists whose album covers residents (and their caretakers) recreated include Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Queen, as well as Elvis, David Bowie and The Clash.
Speker’s posts on Facebook and Twitter, such as this one, have been shared, liked and commented on thousands of times.
Sydmar Lodge Care Home residents and carers have been recreating classic album covers. The home has now been in lockdown for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/XS5YQ4f1Sw
— âð ððð£ð¥ ðð¡ðððð£ (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020
Other tweets from Speker show additional cover art creations, including ones for albums by Michael Jackson, Blink 182, Madonna and more.
— âð ððð£ð¥ ðð¡ðððð£ (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020
The Fun Pastime Becomes A Charity Fundraiser
The outpouring of positive attention has prompted Speker to raise awareness for causes important to the residents he works with, and channel the enthusiasm for the project into charity funds.
“The photography project — recreating Classic Album covers, with the Residents and Carers has raised awareness globally,” Speker wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Further to the overwhelming response, I have spoken with the Residents involved with this project and we would like the funds raised to go to a charity. We have decided this will be split between dementia friends.org.uk, Alzheimer’s .org.uk and ageUk.org.uk.”
One donor tweeted about her contribution on July 14:
Make a donation to #TheShowMustGoOnhttps://t.co/dVgbvvCQQV
— Amanda Rose (@amandarosephoto) July 14, 2020
So far, the appeal has raised about £3,000 (more than $3,700). A calendar featuring the photographs could be in the works, as well, with proceeds going to charity.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
