Twenty years of hope at the Dochas Centre
Artist and psychiatric nurse wanted to help others through art
A special anniversary is being marked during 2018 – the 20th anniversary of the Dochas Carers’ Centre in Lochgilphead.
The Dochas Centre was founded in 1998 by John Paterson after confirmation in London of his diagnoses of having both CIDP, the chronic form of Guillain barre Syndrome (GBS) and Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
He was an artist and psychiatric nurse and wanted to help others living with either GBS or MND, choosing art to do that.
Cards of John’s artwork were produced from 12 of the works he had completed before his diagnoses and sales from these supported research into both conditions and support for families living with GBS or MND.
The community helped by driving to the Paterson’s home in Cairnbaan and taking away hundreds of cards, envelopes, cellophane bags and stickers and by the time the fund was launched, all 24,000 cards were ready.
The launch was organised under the guidance of Margaret Purdie who, with the dinner ladies from the area, prepared, organised and advertised the event to be held in Lochgilphead Parish Church Hall on February 28, 1998, the day before John’s birthday.
John did not want the fund to be named after him and when his wife Catherine asked what the purpose of the fund would be, he said ‘to bring hope’. The naming became simple after that – the motto of the town, ‘Dochas’, Gaelic for hope.
Since John’s death in 1998, Catherine has carried on his work.
The Dochas Fund became a registered charity in February 2000.
Over the years, Catherine travelled across the UK highlighting the fund, its purpose and speaking directly to others. It was then she realised that all family carers shared so much, regardless of what medical condition their loved one had.
Finally, there was exhibition of 85 of John’s original works at Glasgow School of Art, from where John had graduated in 1984.
At the end of the show, the curator, Pete Bevan, advised Catherine to find somewhere to store all of his original work for safekeeping. Within a few months of this conversation, a building in Campbell Street was bought in late 2004.
A ‘Buy a Brick’ appeal was launched in 2005 to demolish and rebuild for this purpose. The response across Mid Argyll, Kintrye and Islay was wonderful, with £81,000 raised in nine months. Building work started in 2006.
Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, formally opened the centre in April 2007. By that time the centre was providing information, support and guidance to all carers.
The Dochas Centre currently employ 18 full or part-time staff and 38 volunteers.