Thread: Serving WO1 needs urgent help. Please read.

Apologies if I'm stepping on any toes, but I've come accross a case which could really do with our help.

WO1 Mac McGearey is serving with 1 RTR. His daughter, Ciara, desperately needs specialist care, but the family has been shafted by Edinburgh Council who are taking them to court.

When Ciara was 3 days old, she contracted meningitis, leaving her blind, unable to speak and suffering from a number of other disabilities. Since she was 6 months old, she's been receiving specialist treatment from the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

However, Mac was posted to England and she obviously had to move schools. Ciara went to a non-specialist school and didn't receive the level of care she needed, so when an opportunity came up for an Edinburgh posting, Mac took it and moved his family back. However, the council refused to fund her place at the Royal Blind School and instead offered a place at another non-specialist school.

An indepdent tribunal concluded unanimously that the Royal Blind School was Ciara's best option, and that had Mac not been in the Army, she would still be attending. They then ordered that Edinburgh Council make funding available immediately.

Rather than comply, Edinburgh council elected to take the case to court at a cost of up to £160,000 in legal fees (Ciara's education at the RBS would be approx. £38k per year).

Mac's walking 500 miles to raise the money needed to keep Ciara in school until the court case.

If you can spare even a couple of quid, please make a donation or sponsor Mac's walk. The appeal is being run by the Scottish Poppy Appeal, and there's more info - pics and the story in Mac's own words - on the links.

Stick in a post if you make a donation, and I'll make sure Mac and Poppyscotland know that ARRSE was there. Thanks.

Mods - Please keep this in CA for a while. It could really do with the exposure.

I presume RHQ RTR are aware of this?

I saw something about theis the other week on local news and also here

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/edin...end.5985153.jp

Originally Posted by elovabloke

I presume RHQ RTR are aware of this?

Poppyscotland are fronting it and it's been all over the local papers, so I assume so!

Originally Posted by DeltaDog

Originally Posted by elovabloke

I presume RHQ RTR are aware of this?

Poppyscotland are fronting it and it's been all over the local papers, so I assume so!

It's gone under the cam net so they will drectly.

Try writing to Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland, sending copies to the press & see if the fat git does anything constuctive!!

As well as an ex reg and now a reservist I am a Rehabilitation Officer for people with visual impairment with a specialist knowledge in learning disability and multiple disabilities so if I can offer any advice or help I will be pleased to do so.

UN Convention on the rights of the disabled is a new piece of legislation of which I have only read one chapter but is very well worth throwing at Edinburgh City Council as I doubt they will have a leg to stand on. There are sections on not only the level of service, but standards of service provision which MUST meet the needs of the disabled person.

Disability Discrimination Act is still a useful tool but RNIB Scotland will no doubt have welfare teams who are very well aware of its contents.

This Warrent Officer Class 1 has turned down a Queen's Commission (and its pay and pension!) so his daughter can get the best education she can. That's love and nails for you!

Shame on you Edinburgh Council, shame on you!

Originally Posted by StickyToffeePudding

This Warrent Officer Class 1 has turned down a Queen's Commission (and its pay and pension!) so his daughter can get the best education she can. That's love and nails for you!

Indeed. They effectively dropped everything for the chance to get Ciara back into the Royal Blind School, which is why it's doubly frustrating that Edinburgh Council have elected to spend £7,000 a day on legal representation rather than send her back there.

This just made the Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/If...39s.6026356.jp

Originally Posted by DeltaDog

Apologies if I'm stepping on any toes, but I've come accross a case which could really do with our help.

WO1 Mac McGearey is serving with 1 RTR. His daughter, Ciara, desperately needs specialist care, but the family been shafted by Edinburgh Council who are taking them to court.

When Ciara was 3 days old, she contracted meningitis, leaving her blind, unable to speak and suffering from a number of other disabilities. Since she was 6 months old, she's been receiving specialist treatment from the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

However, Mac was posted to England and she obviously had to move schools. Ciara went to a non-specialist school and didn't receive the level of care she needed, so when an opportunity came up for an Edinburgh posting, Mac took it and moved his family back. However, the council refused to fund her place at the Royal Blind School and instead offered a place at another non-specialist school.

An indepdent tribunal concluded unanimously that the Royal Blind School was Ciara's best option, and that had Mac not been in the Army, she would still be attending. They then ordered that Edinburgh Council make funding available immediately.

Rather than comply, Edinburgh council elected to take the case to court at a cost of up to £160,000 in legal fees (Ciara's education at the RBS would be approx. £38k per year).

Mac's walking 500 miles to raise the money needed to keep Ciara in school until the court case.

If you can spare even a couple of quid, please make a donation or sponsor Mac's walk. The appeal is being run by the Scottish Poppy Appeal, and there's more info - pics and the story in Mac's own words - on the links.

Stick in a post if you make a donation, and I'll make sure Mac and Poppyscotland know that ARRSE was there. Thanks.

Shocking, absolutely shocking.......what arrrses!!! Do I take it you serve with the First or are you simply a Guardian Angel??
I am willing to auction two of my original artworks to contribute to the fund. They are of Cr2 a la Warminster Sqn and a Fuchs a la Honington. I would put them up as a pair for auction. They are mounted ready for framing the frame size being 20"X16" each picture so a fair size.
The winner could pay directly into the fund and I'll simply ship to him her.
Would you please PM me if you/Mac are interested??? The two pictures are the original ones that created this print. There is no RTR capbadge in either of them but, they each have a 'Chinese Eye' on the vehicle.

Arthur - thanks - have just logged in having travelled back into the UK.

DeltaDog will hook out some useful names and addresses for you and have some of the same looking in on this now. For some strange reason I get the feeling that this will be resolved quickly.

Absolute respect for WO1 Mac McGearey - as said - love and nails.

C'mon ARRSEr's let's do some good for young Ciara.

As always, a mockery is made of The Covenant. About time the government started to get a grip on service affairs and quickly. Yesterday's man may make the front pages, but how about the sharper journalists comparing this issue to Blair's words?

From comments in the Scotsman:

"the administration voted in favour of continuing the appeal and it won on the casting vote of Lord Provost George Grubb."

Grubb by name, Grub by nature.

yet again, this sorry excuse for a man has the ideal opportunity to show he is worthy of holding this exalted position and fails miserably."

Also from the Scotsman:

Councillor Grubbs email if you fancy dropping him a note.

grubb@edinburgh.gov.uk

That sucks, that really sucks. Hope he wins in court rapidly.

In the meantime a few pounds are making their way across the Atlantic to him to help the poor wee girl.
Best of luck to the McGeary family and Mac - Stay safe over there.

To other Septic sorts thinking of donating. It's easy to do if you follow the following rules (I had broief skirmish with donations page)
1) Don't try to enter US phone numbers, it confuses them, leave it blank
2) in donation amount dont enter dollar sign or decimals, just 25 or 20 or 20 whatever, it will be in pounds sterling
3) You can put in your state in the county line and it will accept US 5 digit Zip codes
Just did not want other septics to get discouraged with the donation page