A 91-year-old man who dedicated decades of his life to education, sport and volunteering on the Isle of Wight has been given the chance to relive his achievements thanks to an Age UK Isle of Wight befriender who uncovered years of forgotten newspaper coverage.
Gerry Moglione, who held a number of prominent roles across the Island over the years, has been revisiting his past with the help of volunteer befriender Stephen Matthews.
Gerry was Head of PE at Cowes High School before going on to become a Head of Year and founding member of staff at Medina High School.
Away from the classroom, he served as Secretary of the Isle of Wight Sports and Recreation Council and was closely involved with the Island Games Association.
He later continued giving back to the community by volunteering with the Friends of St Mary’s Hospital.
During his regular visits, Stephen began learning about Gerry’s many achievements and the contribution he had made to Island life.
When Gerry expressed an interest in looking back at his past, Stephen set about helping him piece together the story.
A search through the Isle of Wight Record Office uncovered decades of newspaper articles featuring Gerry and documenting his involvement in education, sport and community organisations.
Stephen has since been taking a selection of the old articles along to his weekly visits, allowing Gerry to revisit important moments from his life and share the memories behind the headlines.
The discoveries have provided a reminder of just how much Gerry has contributed to the Isle of Wight over the years, while demonstrating the difference that befriending volunteers can make by taking the time to get to know the people they support.
Age UK Isle of Wight has also published a podcast-style video conversation featuring Gerry, Stephen and Gerry’s wife Margaret on its Facebook page.
The video is accompanied by photographs and some of the historic newspaper material uncovered during the research.
Having featured in Island news outlets on numerous occasions throughout his life, Gerry is now finding himself back in the headlines once again, this time in recognition of the many years he spent helping others.
