LiveActive....but only if you can tick the box

A week or two ago, I gave a presentation to the Pinky Chickenbutts, a new post created by the LA in their wisdom since they did away with the old post (which did much the same thing) in the "Quality" reforms of 2004. I spoke about the role of carers, like me, who have carer creep. Gradually the business of caring obliterates everything else that you do in the rest of your life. Not poor Mum's fault. If she were cognisant, she would be appalled.

So in a Bold Move, and recalling the lovely days when I trotted off to the gym each lunchtime and started the mornings with a 4 mile run or 50 lap swim, I called the local leisure centre to enquire about membership of Spectrum. It's a fabulous project that gives all members complementary access to any number of facilities in the LIve Active scheme. All to do with getting every Pinky Chickenbutt off its butt and strutting its stuff. But as membership is £25 a month, it's a bit beyond the carer's wallet. There is a concessionary rate of £15 a month for those who can haul in their disabled/impaired dependent - or for those living on benefit or income support but nothing for those of us who occasionally earn more than £80 a week and therefore are disqualified from any kind of support.

Tom came to the rescue. "Since you don't fit into these categories, let me call HO and see if we can do something else" he said. Dear good kind Tom. The world should be full of Toms. Tom called back - "If you can prove that you are a carer, we can offer you the concession". "Would a doctor's note be OK, or something from the Community Psychiatric Nurse or Community Care?" I asked. "Sounds good to me," said Tom.

In euphoric mode, I emailed AlzScot to see if we could put it in our newsletter so that all carers could benefit. And as I am at war with HMRC and Home Care over Direct Payments, it was good to have something to celebrate. Letters came in from the Sunbeams in Community Care and the CPN testifying to my dutifulitudiness as a carer, so armed with these and the application form to join Spectrum, I made my smiley way to the centre.

"I'm really sorry" said Tom. "Stella in Marketing says she can't do anything until April next year. They've recognised that you're an Untapped Market Opportunity though and we do want to do something."

Poor Tom. Yesterday, I had told him that he had made my day. Today, he felt really bad. But at least I'm a UMO, so that's something isn't it?

Back to sit on my pinky chickenbutt then.....