Virus isolation brings Mid Argyll people together

Extraordinary community spirit in the face of crisis

Government advice is to distance ourselves from each other for health reasons, yet this time of crisis seems to be bringing people in Mid Argyll closer together.

Community spirit, of course, runs deep in towns and villages all over Argyll and this is likely to be needed in weeks and months to come.

In a fast-moving situation, on Wednesday this week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was ‘inevitable’ Scotland’s schools would close by Friday March 20.

She said: ‘We are still working out the fine detail of what exactly this will mean. At this stage I cannot promise they will re-open before the summer holidays.’ Many groups and individuals have stepped forward to help during the coronavirus outbreak.

People are volunteering in every town and village in the region, with new Facebook groups such as ‘Team Tarbert’ springing up alongside existing structures.

A number of retailers and other businesses have offered to deliver to anyone self-isolating and there is a push to support local business through the outbreak period by shopping locally.

The community effort has even extended to sport, with Inveraray Shinty Club offering the services of members to help with jobs such as shopping, getting medicines or walking the dog. Mid Argyll Transport Volunteers has extended its services to existing clients who are self-isolating, offering to pick up prescriptions or carry out essential shopping.

Contact Catherine Kennedy on 01546 603564 to find out more.

Churches are there to offer help and support, while the MS Centre in Lochgilphead has moved to ‘virtual support’ via Facebook page as a new way of delivering our activities and services for the forseeable future.

Online and telephone support remains available, but that is not all. ‘Comfort packs’ containing all kinds of goodies were being delivered round the community earlier this week, courtesy of the MS Centre.

There is hardship, of course, and some businesses are feeling the effects.

And it took a while to arrive, but panic buying arrived in Argyll in the past week. Shops struggled to keep up as toilet roll and hand sanitiser disappeared from shelves.

Leisure centres have closed, Mid Argyll and Kintyre music festivals and many sporting events have been cancelled, while GP and hospital services have been forced to introduce changes to appointment systems.

Meanwhile, a ‘Save Knapdale Ward’ march and rally on Saturday March 21 in Lochgilphead has been called off by trade union UNISON.