CalMac chief executive’s resignation

The Ferries Community Board has noted the resignation of Robbie Drummond as chief executive of CalMac.

We understand this would have been a difficult decision for Mr Drummond given his involvement and commitment to the company over the last number of years.

This was during a time when lack of investment in vessels made service delivery extremely difficult and created unprecedented impacts on our islands.

The Ferries Community Board has consistently asked for a change of approach from top management at CalMac to be more islanders and community centred.

This will only be achieved by changing the culture of the organisations in terms of policy, structure and strategic decision-making.

The best route to improving decision-making and communication is to fully involve islanders, communities and build again a service designed around the needs of these communities.

We will continue to push decision-makers on these issues and constructively work to bring these improvements.

If we are to get the best outcomes of the investment in new vessels and infrastructure, these changes must be made.

Angus Campbell, chairperson, Ferries

Community Board

Shocking stories from Tigray

Having lived through the atrocities of war, millions of Ethiopians are now facing emergency levels of food insecurity and hunger.

The charity Mary’s Meals serves school meals to children in the Tigray region of the country, but sadly the stories we are hearing from Tigray are shocking. After the two-year civil war, so many children are still out of school, and many of those who are in school can’t learn due to debilitating hunger.

Before the conflict Selemon and his parents lived a happy life. Now his father has suffered a mental breakdown and is unable to support the family.

With no food at home, nine-year-old Selemon comes to school without eating anything and sits in class feeling hungry, instead of being able to focus on the lessons. He used to be bold and active in class, whereas now, he often seems to get confused when he’s asked a question.

The past few years have stolen so much from Selemon. Mary’s Meals is striving to reach his community and start serving meals to the children in his primary school.

Alongside our local partner, we are ready to expand our school feeding programme to more schools like Selemon’s but we urgently need more funds to do so. You can provide them with hope of a brighter future. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk to give what you can to our Crisis In Ethiopia appeal – at just 10p a meal no donation is too small.

Matt Barlow, executive director, Mary’s

Meals

1,900 delayed discharges

The SNP are failing to meet their promise of eradicating delayed discharge from our hospitals. The latest statistics show that over 1,900 patients were delayed from being discharged in February while almost 450,000 fewer operations have been carried out since the start of the pandemic.

The SNP’s failure to eradicate delayed discharge only increases the risk of patients becoming ill, and these delays also have a significant impact on other frontline NHS services.

It has been nine years since the SNP promised to end delayed discharge.

Councillor Alastair Redman, Kintyre and

the Islands ward.