Workers making move to frontline

Parking attendants, swimming teachers and golf workers have been moved to the frontline to help tackle coronavirus in Dundee.

Dozens of employees from Dundee City Council and other public-sector organisations have been redeployed to deliver essential services, with more set to follow in the coming weeks.

The staff have been delivering food and working in child and social care.

Among them is Katie Bruce, who put herself forward to be redeployed from her job as a parking attendant, to deliver prescriptions.

She said: “I put myself forward because I’m fit and healthy and able to help.”

Anna Turfus usually works as a swimming teacher, but is now delivering shopping and meals to those in need across Dundee.

“It has been great working with a totally different age group within the community which I would never have experienced if I hadn’t volunteered to be deployed,” she said.

The deployments have meant matching people with roles based on skills and qualifications and staff are being offered any training required.

No stranger to youngsters in his role as Active Schools coordinator, Gareth Dailly is now helping look after children of key workers.

Council leader John Alexander said: “The flexibility shown by the workforce and their trades unions to support vulnerable people in these difficult times has been tremendous.

“The deployment of people into lifeline roles has been essential to our response to what is an unprecedented situation.”

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The flexibility shown by the workforce has been tremendous. COUNCIL LEADER JOHN ALEXANDER