Melksham teenagers praised for community spirit

TWO teenagers from Melksham have been praised for helping an elderly gentleman who was left stranded after his electric wheelchair stopped working. 

Tom Jones and Brandon Georgiou who are both in year 11 at Melksham Oak School noticed the elderly man rolling back in his wheelchair near Bowerhill as his battery had stopped. The pair proceeded to help the man by pushing him up the hill towards his sheltered accommodation in Halifax Road.

Melksham resident Karen Andrews was driving past the teenagers pushing the man in his wheelchair and stopped to help. Karen, with the assistance of the Melksham Oak pupils, then helped the man and loaded his wheelchair into her car.

Tom and Brandon then proceeded without being asked to go to Halifax Road to meet Karen and the disabled man to help get him back inside his residential home. The act of community spirit led to Karen writing to Melksham Oak to praise the actions of the pair. In her letter Karen said, “These two young men are a credit to themselves, their parents and Melksham Oak Community School.  They were both extremely polite and caring and I am sure that they will continue to be fine role models. The public is quick to condemn young people nowadays, but these two young men are an example to us all.”

Headteacher Steve Clark echoed the praise. He said, “We are very proud of our students at Melksham Oak and these two young men sum up what our ethos is all about, namely, one built around respect and support of the community.”