Milton view Road staff have true grit
Dear Editor, I read a letter a few weeks ago in which a reader (name withheld) was complaining that South Lanarkshire’s winter maintenance programme was poor.
They were very disingenuous and discourteous to council staff.
The people that look after our roads network are out through the night in all weathers trying their best to make things safer for us. We should be thanking them – not criticising them.
The 2016/2017 programme will cost £4,419,476 which includes £245,631 for gritting carriageways and £245,631 for footway gritting.
South Lanarkshire Council spend more on winter maintenance than most councils in the UK.
Road maintenance is prioritised, with schools and hospitals at the top of the list.
Ambulance depots and urban roads are also a priority. Then when possible residential areas are treated.
As well as road gritting the council provides grit bins, fills grit bins and assists with snow clearing.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the hard working staff within the council.
Councillor Bert Thomson Blantyre Dear Editor May I take this opportunity to wish you and your readers a Merry Christmas and thank all of them who so generously supported Cancer Support Scotland during 2016.
Thanks to them we have been able to help more people than ever before and I would like to appeal to them to continue supporting us throughout next year.
In the last 12 months alone, there has been a 40per cent rise in the number of people we have been able to assist and we now offer more than 5000 appointments each year for our free complementary therapies.
Demand for our services is rising month by month and for 2017 we aim to exceed half a million pounds in fundraising so we can maintain and increase our services to those who need them.
In response to the continually rising demand, we expanded our services in Glasgow and opened outreach centres in West Lothian and Livingston in partnership with other organisations. A further outreach centre in Edinburgh will open in January.
All our services are provided free and we receive no government or lottery funding so we rely on the generosity of people like your readers.
I would like to encourage them to help us by volunteering or taking part in some of our fundraising events. For example, they could feel the exhilaration of our zipwire challenge and fly across the River Clyde or get fit by running in events like the women’s 10k in Glasgow, the men’s health 10k, the Edinburgh marathon or take part in less physically demanding projects such as our fun ‘Heal Appeal’.
At this time of year, many companies are also choosing their ‘Charity of the Year’ and I urge them to consider supporting Cancer Support Scotland.
We can help individuals and companies all the way from posters to fundraising packs. Just contact us and we will be delighted to support you. Please call 0141 337 8199 or go online to www.cancersupportscotland.org and turn your good intentions into reality.
Have a great Christmas and a healthy New Year.
Colin Graham Chief executive – Support Scotland Cancer Dear Editor, Older people’s charity, the Royal Voluntary Service would like to say a huge thank you to players of People’s Postcode Lottery in Scotland.
Christmas is a time most of us look forward to, but for many older people who will be spending it alone this year it can be a very sad and lonely time. Our services become even more vital at this time and we are very grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for supporting us in making sure that no older person is on their own.
David Mccullough chief executive Royal Voluntary Service