COMMUNITY SHOUT OUTS:
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
As lockdown reaches its second week, The Oban Times has been looking at some of the more positive stories arising from the coronavirus situation and are inviting our readers to join in. If you have a story about what people are doing to help in and around your own communities, please let us know so we can share the good news both on our website and in the paper. Contact us at editor@obantimes. co.uk or call 01631 568029.
Soroba’s little ray of sunshine
An 11-year-old schoolboy is making good use of his downtime by helping out his elderly neighbours and spreading some joy in the Soroba community.
Fresh air fiend John Morrison was dismayed when his mum Josephine Mckay informed him that he had to keep his distance from his school chums and limit the amount of time he spent outdoors.
Furthermore, his big sister, Chelsey Mckay, and five-year-old niece Amy-Leigh are off limits too at their home in Glasgow.
Having digested the news, John quickly realised that many of his neighbours were in the same boat and set about trying to cheer them up instead.
On his to do list now are walking Rickson, an elderly neighbour’s dog, delivering papers to those unable to get out, waving and chatting through windows and designing artwork which he then gives to members of the community to cheer them up.
He told us: ‘I know I would be fed up on my own all the time so I just wanted to do some things to make life better for people.
‘I am quite good at washing my hands and have my own sanitiser which I carry around with me so I don’t catch or spread the virus around.’
John’s rainbow art is becoming increasingly popular and is appearing in windows all around the neighbourhood. He has also made a poster and written a poem for the NHS and his 3D rainbow model has pride of place in the Soroba shop.
Benevolent businesses
Eco-friendly online shopping company Go Naked Veg has been working flat out during the crisis as more and more people require essential items to be delivered.
But the Dunbeg-based business is still doing its bit to help out in the community. Graham West and his fiancee Catriona Currie dropped off four fruit boxes, two donated by a customer and two from them, to Oban hospital and ambulance station last week to thank the NHS staff. The company is also running a Sponsor a Spud campaign during which anyone ordering can make as many 25p donations as they want towards veg for Hope Kitchen. Last week two big bags of potatoes, carrots and onions were delivered to the charity.
‘We weren’t quite expecting to feed so many just six weeks into starting up,’ said Catriona. ‘We will try to maintain that amount as a minimum for Hope Kitchen on a weekly basis. Graham is working flat out seven days, bless him. Please all stay safe and bear with us over the next wee while.’
Big thanks from self-isolators
Crossroads North Argyll worker Mairi MacGillivray is self-isolating with her daughter Shanna after developing coronavirus symptoms and wanted to send the following message: ‘I would just like to say the community in Oban are amazing. I haven’t been well, symptoms of the coronavirus, which affected my asthma. I am beginning to improve. Hope Kitchen delivered food and healthy options staff delivered more fresh food. Amazing! One thing for sure is that Shanna and I will not starve while we are in isolation. Amazing sunsets have kept us going.’
Reaching out in Benderloch
Benderloch couple Joy and Campbell Cameron are taking part in a 212-day meditation after being invited to do so by one of the Bookends team, but Joy has taken some time out to let us know what the Ardchattan community have been up to over the past week.
‘We’ve been phoning lots of folk to check how they are and usually they tell us who they’ve been phoning too, and we’ve also had calls to check how we are,’ she told us.
‘We are also writing letters to folk we know are on their own and hand delivering them so they have something newsy to read. There are folks doing shopping and collecting prescriptions too.
‘Our Facebook page Ardchattan Community Board, run by the community council, is our go-to page for up-to-date info and where we can offer and ask for help.
‘The famous Benderloch Pink Shop continues to have enough food supplies and they are taking all the precautions necessary despite the fact they are so shortstaffed. Everyone is so grateful to Campbell Munro and the team for such a sterling service.
‘Lewis at the garage, who retired over winter, opens Ledaig Leisure on a Saturday morning for fuel and gas supplies and the Lochnell Hotel is doing a carry-out menu.
‘We are grateful to all the NHS and emergency workers, many of whom live in our community and who the villages applauded last Thursday night to the strains of Oban High School Pipe Band members. It was a while since we’d heard Angus MacColl playing outdoors, and it brought back memories of the times years ago his music would be heard around Keil on summer nights. We’ll be out this Thursday again.
‘The Bookends Facebook page is reaching out, too, to keep in touch, make recommendations for reading and sharing useful info.’