Dentist gets teeth into new challenge
WHEN most people retire, they plan to spend as little time as possible thinking about their previous career.
For Alan Stanley, however, retirement from Family Dental Care in Scholes has offered him the chance to set up a new dental practice - but one which will offer him a very different challenge.
As a trustee of St George’s Crypt in Leeds, Alan has been heavily involved in the recent 1.2million refurbishment of the homeless centre.
The work has developed the services on offer at the crypt and, in the coming weeks, Alan will be overseeing the opening of a dental surgery for people there who might otherwise be unable to access the treatment they need.
Although he won’t be treating patients himself, he expects to be heavily involved with the running of the surgery – he even took early retirement, at the age of 57, to enable him to be there right from the beginning.
His involvement with the crypt dates back to his student days when he treated his first patients from there during the first year after he qualified.
Since then, crypt volunteers have regularly brought patients to him for treatment.
Although there are medical centres catering for homeless people already in Leeds, Alan knew there was a need for more dental sessions – and help came from a fellow professional.
“Prem Sehmi, another dentist, approached us at the Crypt,” said Alan. “He has a number of dental surgeries in Yorkshire so he very generously offered to equip the whole surgery for us - it should be being installed in the next month or six weeks.”
Several volunteers have also been found to help run the surgery, which Alan believes is the first in the country to be permanently set up in a homeless shelter.
But establishing a pioneering service is not without its problems although, according to Alan, the many changes at the crypt mean it is a great time to be involved.
“It’s particularly difficult to run a dental service for homeless people,” said Alan. “It’s certainly a challenge for us. St George’s Crypt has been running for 80 years and it’s still a challenge!
“But it’s a really exciting time for the crypt. It’s developing its services hugely at the moment.”
The new crypt facilities include 15 individual sleeping spaces for the homeless, with other rooms available for emergencies, such as when demand was particularly high during the bad weather in January as nobody is ever turned away.
But, contrary to many people’s understanding of the work of a homeless centre, Alan said its main focus is now on activities during the day.
“Traditionally, the crypt has provided overnight shelter for homeless people. It has provided a hostel for alcoholics who are still drinking, and a dry hostel for alcoholics who are on a detox, as well as follow-on houses for people who are moving on from the shelter,” he said.
“But we’re moving now to provide training for people to get into the job market. We’re particularly running training in horticulture and some small jewellery making. In our new city centre expansion we have got three dedicated training rooms. There’s a big development in the training aspect.”
Hot meals are offered daily and, like many of the services, not just to people who are homeless – people with other problems such as those who are struggling with poverty are also able to take advantage of free support and advice.
And among the most recent developments is work with the Brain Injuries Trust, looking at how even minor head injuries can affect a person’s ability to deal with everyday life, leading to difficulties with work, relationships or addiction - often resulting in homelessness.
The world of the crypt is a million miles away from Alan’s comfy retirement in Barwick-in-Elmet.
But it is no surprise to those who know him that he has chosen to give up so much time to help others.
He is already chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board at Armley prison, as well as being a lay reader at All Saints’ Church in his home village and St Philip’s Church in Scholes.
So what keeps Alan so closely involved with the charity after so many years?
“Its Christian ethos attracts me very much - the fact that it works with people who really have nowhere else to go. It’s the last point before people drop off completely,” he said.
“I’m really very interested in people that are more disadvantaged. It’s a very good balance to living in a comfortable house in a leafy suburb.”
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Weather for Harrogate
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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