Bristol Beacon

Today has been busy. I went to a project workshop in the Bristol Beacon (formerly the Colston Hall). I was anxious about it knowing it was going to be a mix of public, researchers, commissioners, GPs and surgeons. In the first session feedback I surprised myself. One commissioner, of Indian descent, who had no need for the microphone as he declared he had a loud voice kept chipping in with an anecdote. Some of which were funny, but then he was talking about inequality and cited well, heeled, middle class, white, articulate people who join sessions but not the single Mum with three kids. I was not happy with that biased, stereotypical view and I put my hand up for the microphone, complimented him on his amusing anecdotes, but stating to me that was a statement that was bias, and to say a single Mum doesn’t have those qualities is not right. 

All the ladies on my table said well done, and at lunch one of the organisers came to check in with me to make sure I was OK, a couple more ladies thanked me for raising it. They all felt what had been said wasn’t right. Then one of the researchers came to see me and said thank you so much for calling that out. I was that single Mum. I guess I hadn’t realised how the PPI work has given me confidence to speak up and challenge.

Once home I went to check in on Jo, and took an M&S Mac cheese and garlic bread with me so we had dinner together which was nice.

Very tired now!