MSP hails vital COVID work

Perth and Kinross groups who have helped others during the COVID pandemic have been praised in the Scottish Parliament.

During a question session at Holyrood last week, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP Jim Fairlie highlighted some of the local organisations and asked John Swinney MSP, COVID recovery minister and member for Perthshire North, what plans there are to sustain and utilise the skills and resource that these community groups offer.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Fairlie said:“I was pleased to be able to cast a bit of a spotlight on the work done by community groups in my constituency over the course of the pandemic.

“The North Perth and City Centre COVID-19 Community Support Group, for example, was formed as an affiliation of community groups across the area like Letham 4 All, North Muirton Community Council, Tulloch Net, and many others.

“These groups mobilised volunteers to help with everything from food shopping to delivering prescriptions and to, quite simply, being someone to talk to, but, as well as recognising their efforts, I want to ensure that the experience these groups gained and the connections that were developed, continue to benefit their communities.

“I wanted to find out what plans the Scottish Government has to sustain and utilise the skills and resources that these community groups have to offer.

“The cabinet secretary was, unsurprisingly, well aware of the organisations I mentioned and the work that they have done and echoed my praise for them, describing the services they have provided as‘absolutely critical’.

“And I was pleased to hear John Swinney give an assurance that the Scottish Government wants to focus on a communitybased approach to COVID recovery and to sustain many of the examples of good community initiative that have come forward during the pandemic.”