Welcome to my first ever Pasda blog. For my first blog I was originally going to tell you about my typical working day in the Pasda office, managing the team and balancing the budget, but after a swift and sobering discussion with my wife [who is occasionally lucky enough to get to hear all about what I get up to at Pasda on a typical day], I have had a rethink and decided it would be best if I talk about what I get up to at Pasda on a not quite so typical day…
Since joining Pasda one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile things I’ve been involved with has been our social group. The Pasda social group meets monthly and provides the opportunity for carers to meet other carers on trips out, enjoy meals together, and take part in a variety of leisure activities. The aim of these outings and gatherings is to give carers some much needed respite and the chance to meet and catch up with other carers. There is also the possibility of trying out things not tried before.
All our social group activities are supported by Shared Care Scotland’s Creative Breaks Fund. I regularly canvass carers about what they’d like to do next. Recent trips have included a visit to Rosslyn Chapel, theatre outings to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Wicked, a day out in North Berwick at the Scottish Seabird Centre, and a trip to Murrayfield to watch the six nations tussle between Scotland and Wales…On Saturday, 23rd May, twelve carers and myself met up at Hemma restaurant on Holyrood Road for lunch then went on a guided tour of the Scottish Parliament building. Led by Robert, our knowledgeable, friendly and autism-aware guide, the tour focussed on the history, architecture, work and procedures of the Scottish Parliament. My favourite part of the tour was the visit to the Debating Chamber, which looked much smaller in real life than it does on the telly. We also visited the Garden Lobby and a Committee Room [where all the real business gets done, apparently].
I felt that this was one of our best social group outings to date and carers have commented on how much they enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere in the restaurant [9.3/10 average rating] and how interesting the tour was [10 out of 10]. Others have mentioned appreciating the respite from their caring role and how nice it was to meet up with everyone.
Back in the office, I am now in the process of planning future social group trips. Suggestions on the table include a visit to Gilmerton Caves or getting out of Edinburgh and visiting the Falkirk Wheel or Scotland’s Secret Bunker…Wherever we go next I am sure we will all have a wonderful time together.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about a not quite so typical day in my life at Pasda.
All the best, Dylan