At the age of 17 months, David had a stroke and lost the use of the right-hand side of his body and had to learn to walk and talk again. Despite being unable to use his right hand he has become an accomplished artist. This led him to Watts Gallery, where he became a volunteer Steward. As a boy he used to watch his father, an architect, at work and would sit beside him and draw. He enjoyed studying art at school and college, but initially trained as a professional valetor, working for SAAB, Volvo and Triumph, he loved cars and enjoyed seeing the finished clean product.

This sense of satisfaction, for him, was similar to seeing a finished piece of artwork and knowing when to stop, working on it. He now combines both of these passions, volunteering at Brooklands Museum, caring for their collection of cars and talking to Watts Gallery visitors about the paintings on display. He was told about Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village, by Surrey Choices, who encouraged him to come and volunteer. David lives in Godalming in assisted living accommodation and is supported by The Meath Epilepsy Charity.

Due to his dyslexia, he finds it hard to read lengthy books and therefore enjoys learning on the job from fellow volunteers and staff at Limnerslease and in new exhibitions. David attends a range of activities at The Meath’s dedicated Skills Centre and art classes are firm favourite for him. Since volunteering in the Gallery, David has become increasingly interested in creating detailed artwork and experimenting with different media. Inspired by the historic paintings around him, he now works on his own portraits and animal drawings.

In May he is bravely abseiling down Guildford Cathedral. To find out more and donate to the Meath go to: www.meath.org.uk