Time is needed in this hard fight
This is such a hard time for so many people.
I am sure even if, like me, you are fortunate enough to be in a low-risk group and having to do the basics of social distancing, you will have family and friends in vulnerable groups. I’m certainly worried about a couple of very close friends who are having to follow the‘shielding’regime, and about my elderly step-mum, far away in Wales.
I know there are many people in East Kilbride feeling lonely already, and many feeling so frustrated that they can’t care for, or even visit, elderly parents just a couple of streets away.
Despite all our moans over the years about the prevalence of social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and even the over-use of mobile phones – it has become a comfort to so many people that they can stay in touch with the outside world, and even chat to their families. Not everyone is online though, or practiced in the use of smart technology.
That’s where volunteers come in – helping to make sure food can be delivered and prescriptions picked up, but also helping people cope with isolation and loneliness.
Telephoning is high on the agenda of many of the volunteer groups in East Kilbride, as well as on the agenda of South Lanarkshire Council’s ‘community wellbeing’ helpline, and the Scottish Government’s‘Scotland Cares’campaign.
Everyone who has received a letter advising them to shield for 12 weeks, is getting a call from the council’s team to see what they need – reassurance that someone cares can go a long way.
There’s been a super response locally and nationally to the call for volunteers.
Already, over 50,000 people have registered their interest in the Scotland Cares campaign.
Returning health and care service workers are directed to information about the arrangements currently in place and general volunteers are directed to information about becoming a community reserve volunteer. Our Citizens Advice Bureau and national charities too are working extremely hard to give out good information and support to those in need.
This situation is an understandable cause of concern and anxiety for many people. NHS-24 has already begun to see an increase in calls about mental health and I am sure this will continue.
There has been increased funding announced to increase the capacity of NHS-24’s telephone and online services. And it’s not just loneliness and isolation, or time cooped up with others that can affect our mental health.
I have such sympathy for those families having to explain the situation to bairns, or those with special needs who thrive on routine.
Uncertainty over jobs, worry about bill payments, concern for family and friends, can all have a bad effect on us. As can the relentless bad news on the TV and radio.
This will pass.
Meanwhile, we must listen to the best advice – unfortunately, some like the Chief Medical Officer didn’t listen to her own. She’s lost her job, but it could be so much worse if folk choose to ignore the social distancing rules and hygiene guidelines.
Back at the start of restrictions the First Minister said that, if our life currently felt normal, then it meant we were doing something wrong. That phrase has stuck in my mind. It will take a long time to get‘back to normal’, and a long time to forget. We will get there though.
NICOLA FINDLAY
Urgent action is needed to clean-up an East Kilbride underpass which has become a den for underage drinking, drug use and fly tipping.
That’s the call from Labour councillor Joe Fagan who said he is regularly contacted by concerned residents fed-up with ongoing problems at the underpass at Highfield Place in East Mains.
Councillor Fagan said he also discovered empty needle packets and a small bag containing the remnants of white powder. Both were removed by the police.
He said: “The underpass is becoming a favourite spot for drinkers, dumpers, drug users and general anti-social behaviour.
“It’s totally irresponsible conduct, it’s intimidating to the public and it’s dangerous.
“Broken glass left at either side of the underpass is a risk to walkers, their children and their pets.”
Dozens of tyres have recently been dumped at the site.
In October we told you how a beloved family dog was badly injured at the same spot after cutting its paw open on broken glass.
In an effort to prevent anti-social behaviour and street drinking in the woods next to the underpass, some additional fencing had been installed by the council – but within 24 hours it was demolished by vandals.
Councillor Fagan added: “I have received numerous noise complaints about groups gathering and playing music inside the underpass at all times of the night.
“However, it’s the evidence of drug use that is most concerning.
“The police were in the area the other day and dealt with issues raised by one of my constituents, specifically an empty needle bag and what we think was a leftover bag of cocaine.
“This behaviour has to stop before it gets any worse. The last thing we want is for someone to get hurt or a child to be exposed to a used needle.”
Sergeant Jamie Madden said officers are continuing to undertake regular foot patrols with a view to identifying any individuals involved in criminality.
He added: “I’d encourage local residents to approach officers on patrol and share their concern, or contact us on 101.”
Councillor Fagan called the fly tipping “totally irresponsible”, adding that he counted nearly 30 tyres dumped outside the cemetery.
Calling it “completely thoughtless,” he said there was “no excuse” for fly tipping, especially outside a graveyard.
He told us: “The council has been hit by coronavirus and is having to operate a reduced level of service.
“By and large the community has been co-operating but these people are acting without any care at all for the community or how their actions affect other people.
“Imagine going to visit the grave of a loved one and having to walk past
We’re not all clued up on the use of social media...
a heap of tyres on top of all the other problems we have here.”
South Lanarkshire Council’s head of fleet and environmental services, Shirley Clelland, said: “Fly tipping is of course unacceptable at any time, but even more so during the current situation.
“At this time our enforcement in fly tipping will be targeted towards those openly abusing the circumstances we find ourselves in.
“I have been pressing all the relevant services to crack down on this location, tracing empty bottles back to specific retailers, getting community wardens into the area with CCTV vans and making sure the police continue to call regularly.
“The message needs to get out there that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and that we are watching this part of the town.
“All of our public services are stretched just now due to coronavirus, whether that’s the council or the police, and that will make it harder to give The Gateway area the priority it deserves.
“Nonetheless, I want to see as much done as possible to make people feel safe in this part of East Kilbride and to stop reckless, intimidating anti-social behaviour.”
Fly tipping can be reported at www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk