Tourettes Awareness Challenge Day 08: Wolverhampton – Lichfield – Birmingham – Coventry – Leicester – Nottingham

Day 08: Wolverhampton – Lichfield – Birmingham – Coventry – Leicester – Nottingham What a cracking day! In anticipation of problems keeping to schedule, we arrived early in Wolverhampton, parking the Tourettesmobile in our reserved spot in the Members Car Park. Our hosts ushered us to a meeting room, where we had time for a cuppa and a quick breakfast butty before Cllr Elias Mattu, Cabinet Member for Leisure & Communities, and Kathy Roper, Head of Commissioning, joined us at ten.

We had an excellent discussion, and Cllr Mattu and Kathy agreed not only to disseminate our information to City Council staff and to issue a press release about our visit, but also to ensure that on June 7th next year the City will mark European Tourettes Awareness Day. We were delighted. We all enjoyed our debate about commissioning of services for people with complex and multiple conditions, and we felt we’d really got the message across about Tourettes. On the way back to the Nissan, we had a photoshoot in front of the statue of Lady Wulfrun, after whom Wolverhampton is named. You learn something new every day. We were all excited about going to Lichfield for quite a few reasons. As well as meeting the Mayor in his Parlour in Donegal House, we were to be joined by Julie Collier from Tourettes Action and by Tourettes family Tracey and Dominic Barkhouse and new baby Ashleigh.

The Mayor told us that Lichfield was the home town of famous Touretter and author of the first dictionary, Dr Samuel Johnson. We had a very interesting chat with the Mayor, who is also a District Councillor. He undertook to issue a press release and photograph about our visit, and also asked if it would be possible for a meeting of the District Council to receive a presentation about Tourettes. Once again, genuine interest and a commitment to take action. Fantastic. After taking turns holding baby Ashleigh, hugs all round, and a photoshoot, we left Lichfield reluctantly, and with City pins from the Mayor – and some very welcome sandwiches from Julie. On to Birmingham. Following a Groundhog Day-style run around the City’s one-way system (bad Satnav lady!), we finally made it into Victoria Square, where the City Council had kindly reserved a space for us. Once again we were meeting friends. Catherine Mosey and Hannah Prentice were in the Square waiting and waving when we arrived, and after a refreshing cuppa in the office, we met with Dr Adrian Phillips, Director of Public Health, Cllr Steve Bedser, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Stephen Hughes, Chief Executive.

A top turnout from Birmingham, and we were made to feel very welcome indeed. The Birmingham Post had also sent out a photographer, and the Council’s Media Team Leader was on hand to ensure that everything went smoothly. Hannah, who has TS, is already known to the City Council for making a difference to the lives of people in the City with disabilities, and she had a long chat with Cllr Bedser. Catherine squeezed into the Tourettesmobile with us on the short drive to Coventry, where we were met by Cllr Steve Thomas, Chair of Health Scrutiny, Darrenn O’Shaunnessey, the Communications Manager and Carol Shanley.

The Council representatives were really pleased to meet us and especially keen to talk further to Catherine, and to have the information about the West Midlands Support Group in the Information Pack.

In Birmingham the photographer had got Liz to perch on top of a concrete ball, and the rest of us to pose around her. In Coventry the Telegraph photographer went on better and got us to climb along an old mossy wall opposite the lovely Council House. Liz and Donna elegantly walked along like ballerinas. Jac crawled along the top like a rheumatic black cat, and Eileen did a kind of giant baby bum shuffle. The photo in the paper had better be good! Cllr Thomas was extremely upbeat about doing more for people with TS in Coventry, and between him and Carol they will ensure the information is passed to frontline services. The Council had reserved us a space in the lay-by right in front of the Council House, and after receiving a very welcome gift of fruit, which we scoffed immediately, Cllr Thomas removed the cone in front of our vehicle and waved us on our way to Leicester. Thank you Coventry! Once again in Leicester the Council had made life easy for us by allowing us to park on the pedestrian way right in front of the Town Hall.

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Mustafa Kamal (he’s heard it all before!) had arranged to come out of a meeting to welcome us and have a photoshoot on the Town Hall steps. What you can’t see on the photo is Donna holding his walking stick behind her back, and the lovely bag of cakes he brought for us. The photos will be going to the Leicester Mercury. A short, and very sweet (with icing sugar!) visit, and we were off to Nottingham. We had just been congratulating ourselves on sticking really well to our tight schedule, when we got snarled in the rush hour traffic. Our 5.30 meeting ended up starting at 6 pm, and we were really grateful that the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Cllr Merlita Bryan, had waited for us, despite having another engagement. Her PA had stayed too – to ensure we all had a much-needed cuppa – and we were joined for another superb meeting by Cllr Alex Norris, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing.

We were also delighted that Professor Georgina Jackson from Nottingham University had been able to come along. By the time we arrived, Prof Jackson had ensured that the Council representatives were fully briefed about Tourette Syndrome, Tourettes Action’s Big Lottery project, and all the work being trialled in schools in the Nottingham area. Great stuff. Cllr Norris agreed to liaise with services in the City to assess what can be done for people with TS, using the information we have provided, and to get back to Tourettes Action with details. Thank you Cllr Norris. As we were leaving the magnificent Council House, we were handed a note and a box of chocolates from the security guard. The note was from Ian and Rachel, Dylan’s mum and dad – to say sorry they had missed us. They had been waiting downstairs – not realising that we were upstairs all the time. We were so disappointed, but we hope they will be pleased with the results of the meeting. It was dark as we made our way on foot back to the car park, calling in at Poundland to replenish our sweetie pot in the car. Only the best for us you know! We were all tired but happy. Six cities and a very full day. And what a day. Full of great people, great discussions – and great hope.