Above and Beyond

Carers of West Dunbartonshire have been supporting unpaid Carers for 18 years.

Now they are shining a spotlight on their stories.

On Friday 24 October in the new Clyde Venue on Alexander St, Clydebank, they celebrated the launch of their new book: ʻAbove and Beyond. The People Behind Unpaid Care.ʼ

Compiled by Lynn Jolly, a volunteer with Carers of WD, the book shares 10 accounts of the diversity of life: the trials, the tribulations and most importantly, the joy.

“The book isn't just a collection of stories, but rather a tribute to the thousands of unpaid carers that live in West Dunbartonshire.

“They are the parents, partners, children, neighbours and friends who step in and give their time, energy and support not just without pay but often without recognition and very often without adequate rest,” Kim McNab, Strategy and Development Manager of Carers of WD shared with us.

The definition of an unpaid carer is: someone of any age that looks after and supports a family member or friend who, due to their disability, illness, frailty or addiction, would not otherwise be able to live independently at home.

Many of us would say "isn't that just part of life, taking care of your loved ones?!"

And while yes, it is part of it, but it's not the whole.

For several it can be a challenging, exhausting, all consuming situation and you may still have to go to work, to earn a wage, to pay the bills on top of your caring commitments.

Along the way, itʼs quite easy to lose who you are and what you love.

When you no longer recognise yourself or your life, you can begin to also lose purpose.

This book reminds us of the people they are, before the carer in them, and highlights the importance of holding on to that.

“My hope is that the book sparks conversation and reminds us that unpaid care is not just a personal act, or in some cases a private burden, it is a public contribution, and it deserves visibility, respect and our support,” Kim continued.

Born from a conversation on a day out with the Carers Centre Box Office project, the book involved Lynn sitting down with 11 carers over several months, to interview them about their lives.

No easy task in a general capacity, but when you are talking to people about something so sensitive and personal, it is an endeavour that must be done with the utmost care, respect, and given all the time and space needed by the carer to feel comfortable enough to share this part of themselves.

Linda, one of the carers included in the book, shared with us what some of the process of creating the book was like.

“I thought I might have found it challenging but it was actually a very nice experience just sitting down talking.

“In West of Scotland culture we don't really talk about ourselves so it was nice to have that opportunity because I usually only talk about Tom.”

She continued: “I enjoyed reading it. For days after it, I was walking around with a smile on my face.

“It opened up a lot of memories, memories I thought I had forgot about. It was a therapeutic experience.”

Throughout the process Lynn felt everyone was impacted in a different way, herself included, given that she was working in an area outside of her professional background and on a basis of curiosity and fascination of others, she wasn't entirely sure where it was going to take her.

“For me it was nothing short of an absolute education.

“This is a group of interesting, talented people, who deserve to have their stories heard. It was my pleasure,” Lynn explained.

The book doesn't only contain stories; it also includes photographs from carers that wished to share a little of themselves through the lens and the front cover was also designed and created by the Carers of WD craft group.

Given the opportunity, everyone should have a read of this book, whether a carer or not, as it reminds us of the beauty and value of life with all its marvellous and sometimes devastating twists and turns.

To purchase a copy for £10, pop into the Carers Centre on 41 Kilbowie Road, Clydebank, G81 1BL.