Tributes paid to our war dead
Every year in November, we remember all those that we have lost in war and other active service.
Unfortunately, due to the current Covid- 19 crisis, the usual annual services of remembrance did not take place this year. In its place, those we have lost, were remembered by virtual services and remembrance tributes. On behalf of the House of Commons, I laid a wreath on Sunday at the war memorial in Dailly, my birthplace, to show my respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice everywhere.
It is perhaps an appropriate time to remember not only those who have fallen but also those who have served in our armed forces recently and have suffered from both physical injuries and mental health issues as a result of their service.
One local organisation which provides a range of services for our former service men and women suffering from mental health issues is Combat Stress at Hollybush House, near Ayr.
They are a wonderful organisation
who do so much to help our former service people and if anyone was minded to give them a small donation, I am sure it would be gratefully received and put to good use at this time of the year. www. combatstress. org. uk
Last week, I was delighted to take part a virtual Zoom meeting with the 1st Dalrymple Brownies who are aged between 7 and 9 years of age. They had recently sent me lovely handwritten letters with their ideas on how to improve their community.
Some of the things we discussed were more litter bins to prevent littering, a running track, wider pavements for people with pushchairs and other issues which were important to them.
They were also very aware of the reasons for, and the importance of Remembrance Day and were a tribute to their parents and their Brownie leaders.