For five years Tommy Whitelaw was a full-time carer for his late mother Joan who had Vascular Dementia. In 2011 Tommy undertook a walk around Scotland’s towns and cities to collect hundreds of life stories and letters detailing the experiences of individuals who care for a loved one living with dementia. Tommy took this collection of stories to the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness of the value of carers, providing a platform for people to share their experiences and highlight what is needed to better support carers in Scotland.
Since then, he has engaged with thousands of carers through his ‘Tommy on Tour’ blog and as National Lead for the ALLIANCE’s Person Centred Voices Project. In this role he delivers frequent talks to health and social care professionals, students and carer organizations across Scotland, promoting the values and principles of ‘What Matters to You?
