Time to strengthen community resources

Last week’s uplifting letter from John Maitland encouraging us to focus on good news sat well with your report on the various COVID-19 support groups that are springing up, the Ballachulish initiative in particular.

The Kilmallie Community Council will this week issue similar house signs and help-slips with their Community News, distributed free to every house and business in the area.

But Ballachulish is no stranger to caring initiatives and we always need to remember the pioneering work and evidence given to the ‘Dewar Report’ of 1912 by Dr Lachlan Grant, GP at Ballachulish, who set out a bold vision for a National Health Service. The subsequent Highlands and Island Medical Service became the pilot for the National Health Service, implemented in 1948.

When I was involved with the Rural Parliament, the Scottish Government surveyed community councils about being given more powers but were very disappointed with the response rate, learning that many community councillors were scunnered by their poor resource allocation as set against responsibilities. As a result, no additional powers were given; all negative.

In Scotland, we have around 1,200 community councils for a population of 5.5 million but Switzerland have around 50 per cent more, pro rata, with more budget and powers.

While the Ballachulish folk taking forward this initiative won’t necessarily be the community council of course, they deserve our congratulations but highlight the related need to strengthen community resources of all types in whatever way we can.

John C Hutchison, Fort William.