Happy to contribute to cost of Covid injections
Dear Editor
What price the Covid 19 inoculation?
At a time when our brains are becoming increasingly scrambled at the sheer scale of the billions being spent on defending the nation’s health and the economy, and how long it will take to repay this new national debt with its unavoidable taxation increases, I find it sad that, according to the learned experts, the expected cost per inoculation ‘jab’ is not likely to exceed £10.
So, £20 for some peace of mind seems like an achievable cost for most folk – a real bargain
However, we no longer have simple mechanisms whereby such costs – if only voluntary – can be made.
We used to be able to make charitable donations over-thecounter at our banks – when we had them – for floods, tsunamis and famines, etc.
For one, I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to funding the anti-Covid campaign being mounted by our GP practices and the cottage hospital by paying for my jabs.
They are serving us well, as always.
Ian Hamilton, by email
Dear Editor
The serious neurological condition Myalgic Encephalomylitis (ME) will sadly be all too familiar to your readers.
At least 20,000 children and adults in Scotland live with ME, which is also diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome – sometimes referred to as CFS or ME/CFS.
Many face barriers in accessing health and social care services that meet their needs, and some professionals still don’t understand the impact of ME and its symptoms.
The charity Action for ME is trying to change this by offering people with the condition across Scotland one-to-one advocacy, via phone and email, to help them be heard, understand their rights and access support.
We want to expand this much-needed service, and are seeking enthusiastic volunteers in Scotland who can make the most of our online advocate training programme to develop their skills, gain valuable experience, and help improve the lives of vulnerable people with ME – all from home. Anyone who is interested in finding out more can call, email or visit our website.
We would love to hear from good listeners who can spare two hours a week.
I can be contacted on
0117 927 9551, advocacy@ actionforme.org.uk or www.actionforme.org.uk/ advocacy by anyone for more information.
Alice Cranston,
Action for ME
Dear Editor
We are a charity set up to help improve the quality of life of the oldest members of our society.
We are running a UK-wide short story-writing competition for the over 90s based around their memories of their childhood.
We hope it will give the authors pleasure recalling times past but we also recognise that their stories will be fascinating reading for those of us who were born since the war and have little idea of what it must have been like to grow up during the pre-war or wartime years.
The story doesn’t need to be long – less than 500 words.
It needs to be in the words of the author, but someone else can type it out and send it off to us.
Entries are open until the end of January, with judging done in February.
• See the website www.growolddisgracefully.co.uk. Jackie Flaherty,
Grow Old Disgracefully