Help! My mum’s been swallowed by a robot

Here’s a wake-up call for the NHS. Decide what is confidential and what isn’t, then stick to it. Otherwise it just gets confusing. Like when my mum was admitted to King’s Mill Hospital at Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire.

A Christmas tale of why community matters

Merlin at home

When our 10-year-old cat Merlin went missing two weeks after we moved house, we realised we needed to act fast to find him.

So the family went into action on two fronts – knocking on doors around our new home and spreading the message online. My daughter put up posters on lampposts on nearby streets and we went out searching, asking neighbours if they had seen him. Meanwhile I tweeted a picture of Merlin and an appeal for information with an #Exmouth hashtag.

The response was quick locally and via twitter. Neighbours promised to keep a lookout for our missing pet and online several followers - some who I knew personally and some I didn’t – retweeted my appeal, getting the message out to potentially thousands of people.

Thankfully three days later we got a phone call from the people who had moved into our old home to tell us Merlin had somehow found his way back there two miles across town. We found him bedraggled, limping and hungry – but pleased to see us after his adventure. He is now home recovering, and we will be keeping a close eye on him.

This story has a happy ending – and it illustrates for me how community works online as well as offline. It was good to get to know our new neighbours, who were all sympathetic and promised to help. That was comforting at an anxious time. And similarly the help online via twitter gave us reassurance that friends and strangers cared. Online and offline, people were going out of their way to help when we were in need.

My point is that online communities can offer action and support in a similar way to offline relationships. The results can be quick and effective in spreading a message and calling people to action. I saw a similar outpouring of concern, alongside practical help, with a Facebook campaign supporting people who lost their homes in a serious fire in Exmouth a couple of weeks ago.

Online communities can quickly extend the reach of help and support, providing reassurance and practical action. And that’s a timely message about our power to do good that shouldn’t be ignored, especially at Christmas.

Through choppy waters on the good ship Customer Service

I thought I’d share an email exchange between my wife Zara and a Cornish travel agency when she made an inquiry about a trip on Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven flagship. Start at the bottom and read up. Any analysis from customer relations specialists, or indeed marine architects, would be welcome. 

Your cash is helping disabled kids have fun

In May this year I completed the Great West Run in Exeter, my first half-marathon. Friends, family, and colleagues at the Express & Echo sponsored me to the tune of £133. Earlier in the summer I sent off the cash to the Frenchay Unit Neuro Club, a small charity providing treats and short breaks for children with brain-related illnesses and injures being treated at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, where my daughter Isobel was a patient for several years.

I have now been told my sponsorship money will go towards the cost of a weekend break for a group of children at the Calvert Trust, a specialist centre on Exmoor providing holidays for young people with disabilities. These particular children are being invited because they are unable to join the FUN Club’s normal activities due to their limited capabilities. The Calvert Trust looks like a great place, ensuring those with disabilities don’t miss out on the excitement and challenges of outdoor activities. So thanks again to everyone who sponsored me. Meanwhile I’m still running regularly and on the lookout for my next race, so watch out for my next sponsorship appeal.

Everyone a winner in the Great West Run

It was chilly and wet, but the warm welcome of the spectators made taking part in the Great West Run in Exeter on Sunday a real joy. It was my first half marathon and the longest distance I’ve ever run. Me and my son Tom covered the course together, from Exeter Arena, around the city centre and back a couple of times, in 2hr 11min.

There were 3,000 runners and hundreds of people lining the route, shouting encouragement. Social media played a part, with updates on Twitter from the organisers, training updates from runners and encouragement and reports on race day.

Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised for charities, including my own contribution of more than £100 for the Frenchay Unit Neurology Club (see my earlier blog post for details).

The Exeter running specialist shop Iron Bridge Runner did a superb job organising the event. It always seemed that way from the outside, now I can confirm that from the perspective of a runner.

It was an all round great day for Exeter and a special day for me. A year ago I was in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth undergoing a muscle biopsy for a disabling illness, eventually diagnosed as reactive arthritis. The Great West Run was a major goal for my successful recovery. Here’s a photo of me and Tom after the finish http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0099009/photos/49618497@N06/4585165478/