Tributes

From Dawn Poulson Whelan

I met Tom at a conference in London, the conference was celebrating diversity. It wasn’t set up very well for disabled colleagues and I sat there grumbling about how things should change. A mutual colleague told Tom about this and he came straight over to my table, introduced himself and excitedly told me of the great things he had achieved at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, setting up the staff network and Chairing it.
He shared his work, his insights and was so generous with his time and expertise, with a complete stranger. I felt I had met a kindred spirit, we both resolved there and then to set up a national network.
There was a lot of work involved and we attended some pretty high-level meetings to try to influence CEOs and Directors into giving us money, not an easy thing to do! I called Tom after one of these meetings and he asked how I was, my response was filled with expletives (it has been a particularly heavy day!) and I immediately apologised for how unprofessional my outburst had been.
Tom laughed and said “Thank God for that, I thought you were bloody stuck up! Now I know you are normal; we can definitely work together!’. He had a way of putting people at ease and allowing them to be their authentic selves. We became firm friends and had many a conversation about putting the world and the ambulance service to rights.
Over our many hours of calls where we plotted to take over the world, I learned about his love of cycling, his wicked sense of humour and how proud he was of his family, he spoke about Dianne and Ellis with such love and affection.
He often said that our skills complemented each other, he would send me off to do the ‘Schmoozing’ (his words) and he was the self-proclaimed troublemaker. Tom kept us firmly on track with his Quality Improvement mindset and arguing with me about my hair brained ideas, and translating them into plans that were actually achievable. We successfully set up the National Ambulance Disability Network during the pandemic when staff needed support the most.
Although we worked miles away from each other, Tom was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a crew mate and I miss him dearly. He leaves such a void in our lives. He also leaves a legacy of an award-winning network that currently supports over 85,000 staff across the UK, and a programme to support disabled staff obtaining reasonable workplace adjustments so that they are treated fairly and equally.
Although Tom may have left us for now, we should celebrate the wonderful achievements and the contribution he has made to improving the lives of so many. His influence has touched the lives of people right across the UK and will continue to improve the lives of others beyond measure.
The fact that Tom has made such an enormous difference to people he has never even met is testament to his passion, drive and his enthusiasm to make the world a better place for everyone. The world may be a little bit darker without you Tom, but our lives are so enriched for having the honour and privilege of knowing you, thank you for everything.