I first became involved many years ago as a Guidance Teacher at St Augustine’s High School in Edinburgh. I asked Waverley Care to come and give talks and lead discussions with our seniors and after that helped the students collect for World AIDS Day every year.
When I retired in 2012 I started helping in the office – an ace envelope stuffer! My husband, Mike, then got involved and we are now seasoned bucketshakers at the Pleasance at Festival time and at other venues.
I had experience of HIV and Hepatitis C through my professional life and saw how important education was, especially for young people. Raising awareness and breaking through the stigma attached to HIV and Hep C are still essential jobs as well as raising money to provide support for such a valuable charity.
Pride in what Waverley Care achieves. Pride in what it stands for. A sense of personal worth in doing something useful. On pouring wet days at the Pleasance, the sheer joy of talking to nice people and raising money against all the odds!
I would say don’t hesitate – come and do it! Waverley Care is a small organisation where everyone has a name. There are lots of different ways to help, whether fundraising, befriending, answering the phones. The extended family of Waverley Care is a welcoming group which reminds you that you are doing something so worthwhile.
A little bird has been telling tales about my shady secret life! I help out at my old school mentoring and befriending young people, I sing with Sing in the City III, a great Edinburgh choir, but my passion is still going to gigs wherever possible. Going to see the Foo Fighters in Wembley was definitely a highlight!
Probably Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’, the first in the series of her life story.
Everything and anything except jazz. I was brought up in a musical family in Highland Perthshire so grew up with beautiful pipe tunes and fiddle music. From that to the Foo Fighters has been quite a journey!
Without a doubt ‘Torch Song Trilogy’ with Harvey Fierstein and the late Anne Bancroft. It is a beautiful film – so funny and so moving.
To hell with the food – gin and tonic, red wine, cocktails!
So many people throughout my life have inspired and motivated me to be the best person I can be but staying with music, I’d have to say Dave Grohl of the Foos. He is my hero! So talented, funny, lives life to the full. At my age I need that kind of energy to keep going!
Paul
Margaret