Long before we opened our doors, Dad had already shown me what commitment looked like. Many people know him from rugby league: representing Widnes, England and Great Britain, winning the Lance Todd Trophy at Wembley in 1981 and earning his place in the Widnes Hall of Fame. What mattered most to our family, though, was the same loyalty and determination he brought home.
When Nana Peggy developed dementia, Dad became her full-time carer and moved home to support both her and my grandad. He taught me that care is not a list of tasks. It is patience, dignity, consistency and being there when someone needs you.
In 2012, we turned that experience into TogetherCare. Our first service user was my grandad, and every step since has been built on the standards Dad set: treating every person as an individual, staying accountable and never losing sight of why we began.
Today, as Dad lives with dementia himself, his influence is present in how we lead, how we support families and how we care for people. I am incredibly proud of what TogetherCare has become, but I never forget whose shoulders it stands on.
We would not be here without Dad—the sacrifices he made, the values he lived by and the foundations he put down for all of us.
