Meeting of the Parliament 29 March 2017
I am delighted that my colleague John Lamont has secured this debate for members’ business this afternoon. Rotary, organisations like it and organisations such as Probus, Rotaract, Inner Wheel, RotaKids, Round Table and the Ladies Circle are known for their fellowship and for raising funds for people who are less fortunate than ourselves.
At this stage, I declare an interest and say that I am a past chairman of Falkirk Ladies Circle. I certainly enjoyed many fun years being part of that group.
The annual champions of change awards give Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland the opportunity to recognise particular people—those unsung heroes who go that extra mile in assisting others or inspiring others to do so. I am talking about people like Robin Hamilton from Dunbar, who is a member of his local Rotary club. I know that we have heard about the following people already, but they are worth mentioning again. Several years ago, Robin met a fellow Rotarian from a small part of India that is sandwiched between Nepal, Bhutan and China. It is a prime target area for people traffickers. With many vulnerable people, high unemployment and an escalating number of people being reported as missing, something had to be done.
A project was set up locally to highlight the issue and to reduce the stigma of trafficked women returning, who often had AIDS and HIV. Plans were made for a shelter home to be set up for women and young girls, and work commenced on a vocational training centre. Although some funds and grants became available, it was clear that the costs were far beyond what could be raised locally.
Enter Robin Hamilton and the Rotary Club of Dunbar. With assistance from a number of clubs from Scotland, England, India and the Czech Republic working with local bodies, funds were raised for phase 1, which was the completion of works on the training centre, including security fencing, sanitation, electrical work and provision of furniture. Training courses will be run on subjects including tailoring, animal welfare, carpentry and horticulture. Phase 2 will involve the shelter home for trafficked women and girls. What a difference those facilities will make to the lives of the people concerned.
Not all champions of change are making a difference to people overseas. Grant Stephen of Duns—whom my colleague Rachael Hamilton mentioned—works tirelessly in his community to raise awareness of dementia, and assisted in the setting up of a dementia-friendly cafe in Duns.
Patricia Paterson, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Galashiels and District, was approached by a doctor who did corrective work on children in Pakistan. He mentioned that soon-to-be-redundant national health service breast screening units would be of great benefit to his work in Pakistan, because they could be used not only for breast screening but as mobile operating theatres and polio immunisation centres. Fellow Rotarian Peter Croan became involved and thoughts turned to the logistics of getting the units to Pakistan and meeting the £133,000 cost of shipping. Thanks to a generous donation from a Pakistani businessman, work on getting the units from Hamilton to Karachi gathered pace.
The units were filled with furniture that could be distributed to schools in Pakistan. Support was given by the British High Commission, and the project received positive coverage in Pakistan for Rotary and for Scotland. On 13 August 2016, 10 former NHS breast screening units were officially handed over. The ceremony was attended by the Chief Minister of Sindh province, who warmly thanked NHS Scotland and the members of the Rotary Club of Galashiels and District.
I am advised by the former district governor Andy Ireland that the Galashiels club intends to deepen the links that it has established through the project, and that it will continue to support projects to improve the lives of people in Pakistan.
I have touched on a few stories of ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things. I hope that, tonight, they feel that they are no longer unsung heroes, and that they are, indeed, champions for change, and people who this Parliament recognises have truly put service before self.
17:38