Let us send a message and raise £1000 pounds for a Memorial bench and dignified send off for Jim Stirling who was a well known Gourockian who passed away aged 66 on the 11th Oct 2017 at Inverclyde Hospital with hopefully any excess going to youth causes in Inverclyde.

This whole story is a sad reflection of Scotland in the 21st century where we can't take care of our most vulnerable members of society. As most who new Jim will know,like many in Scotland he had a drink problem this problem was not helped when his mother then his father died back in the seventies/eighties. What exacerbated the situation was the fact he had no living relatives who he could turn to in the situation that he now found himself. Jim proceeded to go steadily downhill until he found himself lying cold and alone on his living room floor and unable to move for a couple of days before an alert neighbour noticed that his house was in darkness (this was due to his electricity card running out) and she raised the alarm. The last time I saw Jim was in IRH where I agreed to be put down as his nominal next of kin. Jim didn't last long in hospital dying about four days after being admitted. Myself and Donald Teale managed to visit him a couple of times before he died where we brought him some necessities and let him know that he was not totally alone.

I wish that there was more I could tell but unfortunately at the time of writing this three and a half months later myself and Rod Brown who has spent a lot of time trying to find answers are still non the wiser of what even the cause of death was.The only communication that I have had from the authorities was a phone call at six in the morning from the nurse to inform me that Jim had died and a couple of days later from the social work department to ask what his parents names were and If he had any next of kin. Rod brown who has like myself been passed from pillar to post was brutally informed by Inverclyde Council. No flowers, no attendees no service and no headstone as it seems like he has been thrown into a mass grave.No one in this day and age deserves treatment like this! Let's together send a big message in Jim's name.