2020 marks a year that has been filled with accommodating change and uncertainty that has affected most of the population of the world.  It has also provided people with a chance to reflect upon their lives and appreciate life without the haze of normal routine clouding what is important to the individual.

This last sentiment holds true to myself and my family in the precious time that we had got to spend with this one special fella, unbeknown to us that 2020 would also mark the final year that we would get to spend with our beloved father, husband, grandad, brother, uncle and a dear friend to all those who met him.

Dad came to the UK, from the Punjab region of India, back in the early 1960's.  Both Dad and Mom settled in Birmingham and worked hard, against the odds of the day, to create a living for themselves and ultimately for their children.  Dad, as with most immigrants of the day, worked in laborious jobs throughout all of his adult life whilst encouraging his children to get an education so that we would not have to work such jobs and venture out to work in other fields.  Dad succeeded in his goal.

It wasn't all work and no play for Dad however, Dad enjoyed travelling and enjoyed the wealth of knowledge gained from his adventures.  I reckon Dad could have compiled an encyclopaedia with all manner of information that he held.  He certainly was one for telling a story or several and illustrated these in grand detail, as if you had been there with him.  He took pride in letting us know of the world outside of Birmingham.

Dad's life was made complete with the arrival of grandchildren.  Dad doted on them all and the smile and joy in his eyes when they came to visit him speaks volumes of the love he had.  He had nicknames for them all, which I'm sure they really loved ha!  This was Dad's character, light-hearted humour, love and ensuring the care and safety of those in his life.  Dad being a devout Sikh, I remember everyday he would say a prayer for everyone close to him by name and for world peace before going to sleep, without fail - no malice, just pure love.

In more recent years, soon after Dad's retirement, Dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia.  Whilst this is an increasingly common disease, this was a chink in Dad's armour that we never could have imagined and brought us to the sudden realisation that Dad was not invincible.

Dad lived with his dementia for over 6 years and with the support of family and care professionals he lived a comfortable life and remained upbeat to the end.

Now to the reason for this fundraising page...

Dad attended The Robin Centre in Kings Heath.  This daycentre provides activities and much needed companionship for the elderly, especially for those with little family or friends and use this centre as a means to simply be with others.  The daycentre also provided the immeasurably valuable service of providing respite for Mom for two days a week, allowing her to have a break (and give Dad a break from her no doubt, ha!).  The peace of mind we had, knowing Dad was cared for by trained staff, allowed us as a family to resume our day to day lives with less worry.  Dad would leave the centre energised, talkative, lively and with plenty to say on his journey home - I do miss picking him up from there for that reason alone.

The Robin Centre is a charity and relies on money raised from All Saints Church (next door) and other streams of income.  The work the staff put in is amazing for the elderly, and it truly is a pleasure to see the individualised service each service user receives.  Whilst the centre is still in lockdown, they are still completing home visits to service users to ensure they have plenty of companionship and the comfort of knowing that someone still cares.

I know that these are uncertain times and you may not be able to donate, so please do not put yourself in hardship, however if you are able to donate a little then rest assured in the knowledge that you are making a direct difference to the lives of some wonderful elderly people that don't ask for much, but a simple bit of companionship and comfort.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.