'I should have died in crash that killed my parents...now I'm on a mission to help others': Northampton-born life coach tackles loneliness in elderly

When Northampton-born David Frost was just six years old, he was involved in a crash that killed both his parents.

Lynn, David’s mum, died at the scene of the crash, close to Banbury, that saw the Frost family car crushed under a lorry.

His dad, Alan, died in hospital around a week later - two days after David’s seventh birthday.

The now 39-year-old told the Chronicle & Echo: “I should not have been alive after that car crash. It was only because my brother sat on my legs by accident that I got out.

“There were no seat belts back then so I should have flown through the wind screen and that would have killed me.”

The death of David’s parents made the front page of the Northampton Chronicle & Echo back in 1987.

Lynn and Alan were well known in Creaton, as they owned the village post office and were both local darts champions.

Both David and his brother Lee, who grew up around Northampton, survived the crash and were then brought up by his sister who was only in her early twenties at the time.

David added: “If you were going to draw positives from it, you’d say I did not know any other life.

“I was very fortunate to have a caring family around me as well. I wouldn’t be doing anything I am now if I hadn't been looked after by my sister.

“I sit and think there is a lot of turmoil in the world and I’m very fortunate to be alive so I count every day as a blessing.

“You tend to be fearless as you’ve already gone through the worst and come out the other side.”

After doing well in his GCSEs and attending a grammar school, David began a career in the corporate world and moved to London.

But then in his late twenties, he decided he wanted to start getting involved in voluntary work.

As part of his volunteering, David became the chairman of a sheltered housing charity for the elderly, as well as a trustee for the a national road safety charity called RoadPeace. “Being altruistic ran in the family as my sister did voluntary work too," he continued.

“It was all part of the healing process too. It takes you away from your own life briefly to help others.

“It gives you purpose and a way to make a difference.”

Inspired by his volunteering, David then made the move into a whole new professional world, just last year.

After training at a life coaching academy, he set up his own business - The Imperfect Life Coach - and began motivational speaking.

“While I was training I had to do 40 hours of work with clients and I wanted to do it in a voluntary capacity, for people who really needed it," David added.

“I knew what the needs and wants were of older people from my previous volunteering.

“This is also when my parents would have started to enter that age right now, so being able to help and give back was quite important.”

Last December, David set up a wellbeing and resilience programme for over 55s in partnership with Age UK.

The scheme offers the older generation ten free life coaching sessions to help them deal with loneliness and teach them how to talk more openly about their feelings with family and friends.

Since its launch, the scheme has grown and is now available nationwide after starting in London. It also boasts 120 life coaches who are volunteering or are on a waiting list to help.

“We ask the older people to fill out a ten question wellbeing survey at the beginning of the sessions, then they fill out the same questions at the end of the ten sessions,” David continued.

“We can see the changes and it has had a huge difference.

“This is going to have a positive impact on GPs appointments and on local Age UK services.”

As the pandemic continues to isolate older people, David believes his scheme is as important as ever and is even putting together data to address the Government on how it could help the adult social care sector.

If you are over 55, or someone you know is, and would benefit from mindfulness and self-care strategies, as well as coping mechanisms for loneliness, visit David’s website to sign up for the free lessons.

Alternatively email him at [email protected] or call him on 07507 677792.

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