Getting talked about.

Hiya,

Four days down. One day to go. Well sort of. I've been thinking a lot over the past few days. Most carers don't have a lot of time to themselves - I know that well enough.  But I also want to make sure I get as many letters as I can. So I plan to keep 'Tommy on Tour' going for a wee while yet. I'll be home soon and caring for my mum again (and I'm glad - I've misssed her a lot this week), but I still want to get out and meet people. Keep raising awareness and keep collecting letters. Not quite sure how this is going to work yet, but I'll be sure to keep you all posted!

Oh, and I got a mention in the parliament, but more about that later!

I was made really welcome by everyone at the Dementia Services Dementia Centre this afternoon. It's at the Iris Murdoch building in Stirling Uni and June, Eileen and Juanita were lovely. The centre has a library full of books about dementia, everything from textbooks to picture books, and it's open to the public.

 

 

Me and June Andrews at the DSDC

 It was when I was at the centre that I found out I'd been mentioned at the parliament! George Adam, MSP for Paisley, put a motion in yesterday that was mentioned this morning. Time for a wee bit of copy and paste...


*S4M-00252 George Adam: Former Paisley-Mill Worker’s Son Raises Awareness of People with Dementia and their Carers—That the Parliament recognises the efforts of Tommy Whitelaw in raising awareness of the varying forms of dementia and the condition’s effects on families and carers; notes that Tommy is on a 150-mile trek across Scotland, visiting some of the nation’s landmarks to highlight the roles played by those caring for someone with the condition, including Tommy’s mother, a former mill worker from Paisley; further notes the wide support that Tommy is receiving from organisations including Alzheimer Scotland, Carers Scotland, local groups, employers, football clubs and schools, and acknowledges the innovative step of collecting letters from carers during the hike, detailing their experiences.
Supported by: Fiona McLeod*, Bob Doris*, Jamie McGrigor*

What a surprise! Not even handed any letters in yet. It's amazing what a bit of publicity can do. Imagine what it'll be like when we actually get the letters in. I can't wait.

Tommy