Lewis-based trust launches new COVID services

Isle of Lewis community wind farm organisation Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) has launched a new delivery, meals on wheels and befriending service in its latest effort to support the community in the fight against COVID-19, writes Mark Entwistle.

Three new members of staff have been appointed to make the deliveries and check in by telephone on the wellbeing of people in need in the Point and Sandwick area.

Peter McNeill and Matthew Smith have been appointed as delivery drivers, while Sandra Macleod has been appointed as co-ordinator of the service.

They will be in post for several months and the jobs have been funded by grants to PST from the Corra Foundation and the Scottish Government’s Supporting Communities Fund via Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

A flyer informing households of the service has been produced and will drop through every letterbox in the Point and Sandwick area.

The grocery delivery service aims to help those residents who are self-isolating, unable to get to the shops due to transport difficulties or who have any other circumstances that have been exacerbated by the pandemic lockdown.

The drivers will safely pick up and deliver shopping that has been ordered and prepaid from local stores and will also be helping with deliveries from the food bank.

The launch of the service, with its two elements, is the latest action from Point and Sandwick Trust to help mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Announcing the creation of the pandemic community fund in March, Calum Macdonald,

The new delivery team, from left, Peter McNeill, Matthew Smith and Sandra Macleod.

the former MP for the Western Isles who is also the development manager for PST, said the trust board had decided to devote ‘all the income that isn’t already committed to key local organisations like Bethesda to support the community effort we are going to need to get through the pandemic.’

He added: ‘Whatever happens, we will have to pull together to help each other.’