Winner of Brit Writers
Special Achievement Award 2010 and Gold Blue Peter Badge.
Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoy reading my poems and hearing something about my life.
My school asked me to write a poem about Scotland for Burns Night (25th January) and here it is:-
Caledonia Dreaming What is Scotland? Tourist say Saltire, tartan and Hogmanay. But what does Scotland mean to me? Mountains, handsome cities and roaring sea. Without Scots inventors where would we be? No telephones, no penicillin and no T.V. Our footballers may not bring much joy, But my sporting heroes are Murray & Chris Hoy. Edinburgh's Book Festival is my favourite place to go, I love meeting great authors, Duffy and Morpurgo. I love my friends at Forthview school, Making me laugh, acting the fool. But best is mum and dad, my cousins too, and Charlie Dog sniffing out at bone to chew. Scotland is not a country of fried Mars Bars. It is a great nation, full of shining stars!
I am delighted to tell you that with a little help from my friends, well a lot of help really, I have raised £1,1160.15 from my Book Bring & Buy For Bobath Scotland and my Big Name Book Raffle. So thank you to Michael Morpurgo for donating a signed copy of War House, to Ian Rankin for donating signed copies of Set In Darkness and Dead Souls and to Clare Balding for donating a signed copy of My Animals and Other Families. Thank you also to everyone who donated second hand books for the sale and everyone who purchased tickets for the raffle or bought books. A special thank you to the very kind gentleman who donated £800 and the very kind gentleman who donated £50. Unfortunately I was to poorly to attend the sale but thanks to all my family and friends who worked so hard to make the day a big success. If you want to learn more about the brilliant work Bobath Scotland do, take a look the blog I wrote last year when I visited for a block of therapy. Although I missed the sale, I really loved working with mum on this fundraising project and I already working on something new and very exciting which hopefully you will hear about very soon.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
I remember watching the Beijing Olympics on T.V. and loved it and was really excited that the Olympics was coming to the UK. I was therefore delighted when mum told me she had got some tickets for the Olympic Torch celebration at Edinburgh Castle.
I hadn't been well for the past week so was worried that I might missed it, but I had been a bit better for the last couple of days and back to school, so hurrah! I made it!
There was little sign of any of the Olympic competitors, I suppose they are all getting ready for their events, but it was a good fun night and I got a brilliant view of the Olympic Torch as it came pass just in front of me.
Mum made a little film for me to share with you and so that I will remember what so many people on stage were calling a "once in a life time" event.
I am delighted that I have been able to go to school several days this week because a nurse has been made available to go with me. I love going to school and get very sad if I can't go, especially when I can't go just because there is no nurse.
Mum and others have been battling to try and improve the situation so that I can always go when I am well. Lots of people have rallied around to help me. Sadly the people who can really control the situation, the big bosses at NHS Lothian don't seem to understand the problem at all. They seem to think it doesn't matter if I go to school or not. They seem to think different rules apply for children like me and we are not allowed to do the things others take for granted. They have even suggested that there is no reason why my mum should take me to school instead of a nurse. I wonder what they would say if someone suggested they should go to their son or daughter's school to teach if the teacher is off sick for several weeks in a row.
I hoping the problem will be sorted soon. It is not long till I start High School and missing that would be a real disaster, as I wouldn't be able to keep up with my school work at all.
Some of you may have seen the short movie "Adam's Fight to Go to School - The Movie" telling how I took a letter I had written to the new CEO at NHS Lothian. He hasn't sent me a reply, by the way. Here is a second movie in the same series. This tells of some of my achievements - what I can achieve given the chance. All I want is to be able to go to school like other boys and girls my age.
Playwright Sandra Webster has written this short play based on me and my fight to be allowed to attend school, for the National Theatre of Scotland's Five Minute Theatre. Thanks you Sandra, Linz the lead actor, all the other actors and the National Theatre of Scotland. It is sad that the play is needed, but I am flattered to have such a moving and brilliant play written about me.
I was very excited earlier in the year to hear that I had been nominated and then shortlisted for the Sunday Mail, Young Scot, Arts Award, for my poetry writing.
Mum, Dad and I arrived early for the awards ceremony at the Glasgow Hilton last Thursday. The invite said to "dress to impress" and I did my best, with my waistcoat and cravat. Although I'm only 12, I am a bit of an awards ceremony veteran and the Young Scot Awards was the most impressive one I've been to yet. The organisers did us proud, the room looked magnificent with the literally brilliant table decorations and everything went like clockwork. Everyone on my table was really friendly and all of them were rooting for me.
I wasn't expecting to win, the competition was very stiff. I was up against some very impressive finalists, all much older than me. Toni James, 26, from Paisley is an accomplished pianist who has played at the Carnegie Hall in New York and the British Embassy in Oslo. The other Arts finalist was Shetland Young Promoters Group, a group of 14-18 year olds who stage music events. I was therefore really excited and surprised when I was announced as the winner of the Arts award. Young Scot Awards made a short film about me, which you can link to here I didn't notice on the night, as I was on my way up to the stage with mum so had my back to the audience, but according the the write up in the Sunday Mail last Sunday, the audience gave me a standing ovation. I was overwhelmed to learn that.
It was a real honour to be a prize winner and along with the other finalists to show the world what young people in Scotland can achieve with the right support. I'd like to congratulate all the other finalists and winners, especially the winner of the overall Young Scot of Year award Erin McNeill, who looked stunning in tartan. I would also like to thank Norma Curran from Values into Action for nominating me and for the cast of thousands, including mum and dad for giving me all the help and support I need to achieve and excel.
I'm really looking forward to taking my award into school to show my classmates, I know they were all rooting for me and will be as excited as me that I have won. I haven't been able to get into school lately. It is a long story and for another day. I hope me getting this award has shown lots of people that supporting me is worthwhile and despite all the challenges I face I can contribute just as much as other boys and girls my age to Scotland. Thank you Sunday Mail and Young Scot for giving me this wonderful opportunity and a night I will always remember.
