A record number of young people have signed up to a scheme where they will visit and befriend residents in care hopes.

The Young People of the Year (YOPEY) Befriender scheme started in Watford over three years ago and has since expanded to Nottinghamshire and East Anglia.

The two original schools, Francis Combe Academy and St Michael’s Catholic High, continue to be involved.

Sixth formers have been trained to relate to elderly people with dementia.

Ten 16 to 17-year-olds from St Michael’s and 15 from Francis Combe will be visiting Lancaster Court care home in Leavesden weekly for the next year.

Francis Combe sixth form leader Phillip Harley said: “This is the fourth year of Francis Combe sixth-formers becoming YOPEY Befrienders.

“We take part in the scheme as it encourages relationships between the generations and allows 16 to 19 year-olds to understand the variety of life experiences that many residents have been through.

“Many students have completed the Befrienders programme and gained valuable certificates towards their CVs and university applications.

“Some have continued to visit the homes simply because of the good friends they have made there.”

Additionally, ninety 14 to 15-year-olds from Watford Girls’ Grammar have signed up for an introduction to YOPEY Befriender.

The girls will go to Greenbanks care home in Leadbetter Drive for an afternoon’s introduction to dementia and meeting residents.

The first group of 19 have completed their introduction and the rest will go next term.

YOPEY founder Tony Gearing said: “It is hoped the younger age group will want to return on a weekly basis when they become sixth-formers.

“All the young people who become YOPEY Befrienders learn lessons to carry them through life.”

People living longer means Alzheimer and other forms of the condition overtook heart disease as the most common cause of death last year.

Dementia was responsible for 11.6 per cent of 529,655 deaths in 2015, or 61,686 people. For the first time this was more than the number who died of heart disease.

With Alzheimer’s Research estimating one in three of today’s children will develop dementia as their generation live longer, YOPEY Befriender is teaching them useful skills for then as well as now.

Managing director of Runwood, who run both homes, Logan Logeswaran said: “It is a fact of life there will be an increase in the number of elderly within the UK and the younger generation will need to understand people’s needs and have an empathy with them at that phase of their life.

“The students will benefit from their work and involvement and as a forward-thinking company Runwood is always committed to support such worthwhile projects.”