Ayrshire Post

Gold star for council over equal rights

- Stuart Wilson

Council bosses have hailed their “good progress” in cutting out discrimina­tion and promoting equalities.

South Ayrshire officials welcomed a favourable report into their work.

Highlights in the paper included the building of 29 new “amenity bungalows” to improve access in the community.

The wheelchair accessible homes are a first of their kind for Ayrshire and support independen­t living.

Ongoing work to report diversity crimes has also come in for praise following a campaign to highlight the problem.

It follows Ayr being named as one of the 27 locations in Scotland where victims of human traffickin­g have been identified in the last five years.

Training and workshops have also taken place within the council to ensure staff are aware of LGBT issues.

It saw the rainbow flag raised above County Buildings in February to mark LGBT History Month.

Employees at the council have also been taking part in disability awareness sessions.

Councillor Laura Brennan- Whitefield, chairwoman of the Equalities Forum, said: “This report shows there has been significan­t progress made to ensure everybody in our communitie­s feels valued and supported.

“We’re on a journey, but the council has a clear vision for what we want to achieve over the next five years regarding our equality and diversity outcomes.

“I’m confident we will continue to make good progress as we look to remove barriers to ensure that everyone is treated fairly no matter their background or identity.”

 ??  ?? Equal rights The rainbow flag is raised at County Buildings during February to mark LGBT History Month
Equal rights The rainbow flag is raised at County Buildings during February to mark LGBT History Month

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