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An Appreciation of the life of Alan Edward West
Mike and Sue Parkin
Our paths first crossed in 1957 when Alan visited Lodge Moor Spinal Unit for a check-up and, having heard all about Alan and his wife Beryl from one of the nurses, I made myself known to him. So began a long family friendship, with Alan being ‘best man’ at my wedding (Alan always claimed that he was responsible for introducing me to my future wife who was also a personal friend of Alan and Beryl)
Over the many years of our friendship with Alan, my wife and I have been amazed by his achievements and his determination to succeed. His sporting successes, his involvement with SIA and the British Wheelchair Sports Foundation, all of these commitments whilst holding down a full-time teaching post.
Alan would have been the first to acknowledge that none of his achievements would have been possible without the support and dedication of a loving wife; Beryl’s devotion to Alan throughout their marriage was something very special and recognised by all who knew them. Alan was delighted when the marriage was blessed with the birth of their daughter, Diane, and took great pride in her achievements.
In latter years Alan did not enjoy the best of health, but on becoming a grandfather he gained a new lease of life and loved to regale us with the exploits and achievements of his grand-daughters, Lizzie and Evie.
So, Alan, you leave us with so many memories, Christmases spent in each other’s homes, camping holidays, week-ends away at sporting events, birthday and anniversary celebrations - the list is endless. We have been privileged to share in these events.
What an amazing life, but then you were an amazing man.
Our sympathy and condolences go to Beryl, Diane and Andy, Lizzie and Evie on their sad loss.
The following is the story of one man’s life and his determination to succeed in the face of adversity.
Alan Edward West
1933-2007
Alan’s abiding passion as a young teenager was cycling and, in particular, racing. His commitment to racing would lead to arguments at home as he spread the dismantled parts of his bike over the floor to be cleaned, oiled and lovingly reassembled ready for the week-end ‘thrash’.
Tragically it was during one of these club race meetings in May 1951 that Alan’s promising racing future was brought to an untimely end when an accident resulted in a spinal cord injury, leaving Alan with complete tetraplegia.
Following rehabilitation in a Sheffield Spinal Unit (Wharncliffe) and retraining at a specialist college for people with a disability, Alan secured employment in the motor trade, travelling to work in an electric three-wheeler, open to all the elements. In the late 1960’s Alan was looking for a new challenge, having seen the opportunities that were now opening up for disabled people in the way that they could earn a livelihood. He decided he wanted to be one of the people who could help remove the barriers and expand those opportunities.
It came as no surprise when Alan registered for evening classes at a local college as a prelude to applying for teacher training. In 1971 he was accepted for teacher training at Nottingham Trent University and completed his B.Ed (Hons) in 1975. The same year he began his teaching career in the Department of English at Manvers Pierrepont Comprehensive School in Nottingham. Alan’s rapport with the pupils was quickly recognised and he was approached by the Head of School and asked if he could organise the Careers Department .Alan’s past working experience in a non-educational environment was much valued and he approached this new challenge with enthusiasm. He developed a curriculum for final year students in which they were encouraged to write to local firms requesting the opportunity for a trial placement to gain work experience. This policy was a success and former students have thanked Alan for the direction and encouragement he gave them on their path towards full employment.
During this period Alan had also continued with his active participation in sport, having started swimming in 1964 and later adding archery to his sporting prowess. His skills in these sports were duly recognised and he was chosen to participate in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Paralympics, winning medals for swimming in 1968, gold and silver at the games in Germany and gold for archery in Canada. Alan was also chosen to compete in the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and 1974. His many medals are testimony to not only his ability in his chosen sports, but his dedication to the training required to achieve these results. In 1977 Alan’s sporting achievements were duly recognised when he was nominated as the Disabled Sports Personality of the Year by the Sports Writers of Great Britain.
On retiring from active sport, Alan was determined to be still involved and to give something back to the sport which he had enjoyed so much. In the early 1980’s he became the manager of the British Paraplegic swimming team and also their representative on the British Wheelchair Sports Federation at Stoke Mandeville, and was later appointed chairman of the BWSF.
In the early 1970’s Alan was approached by a TV company to assist with and introduce a pilot programme for viewers with a disability. The initial programme was broadcast for six weeks under the title of ‘LINK’ and was the fore-runner of a successful series which addressed the issues of the day which prevailed upon a disabled person’s life.
It was at this point in his life that Alan, along with colleagues who had also sustained spinal cord injuries, held a meeting to discuss the formation of an organisation that could represent the views and other issues of importance to people with a spinal injury. Following many meetings, the Spinal Injuries Association was born and Alan has been a Trustee and member of the Governing Council since its inception.
During Alan’s long period of office with SIA he has been prominent in promoting and supporting many initiatives. His involvement in swimming made him very keen to see that the message of one of SIA’s campaigns, ’Think Before you Dive’, was taken into schools so that young people could enjoy their sport but also be aware of the consequences if they made a mistake. He has been generous with his time and made himself available to visit newly injured patients, whether this is in the Spinal Injuries Centre or at home, to offer advice to the patient or their partner or parents.
Alan has taken every opportunity to promote the Spinal Injuries Association and its work, attending and participating in fund-raising ventures on behalf of SIA. He has been keen to encourage the integration and participation of spinal cord injured people in society, through his work with SIA and in his professional life as a teacher in education.
Alan’s contribution to helping and advising disabled people regain their own lives can best be summed up in the way that he has lived his own life -------- ‘Life does not stop when you become paralysed’.