Meeting of the Parliament 04 March 2026 [Draft]
I am pleased to speak in support of the motion that Jackie Dunbar has lodged on an issue of importance to communities the length and breadth of Scotland. My Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency is no different in that regard.
I value the immense contribution that charities, voluntary organisations, community councils and not-for-profit organisations in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth make day in, day out. In my area—I am sure that this is the case for every MSP—we are blessed with an abundance of fantastic community organisations, which are often reliant on volunteers doing tremendous work for our local community. That is a vivid demonstration and reminder of the great sense of community spirit that we have in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
Local groups such as Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Care, which operates a school uniform bank, a baby bank and a clothing bank, provide practical help for families in need by pooling community resources to support children, carers and parents in very real ways. I should say that my wife was involved in establishing that charity, and I saw clearly, at first hand, how much effort went into that.
Another organisation is Watch US Grow, which, from its own dedicated garden in Palacerigg country park, works with and supports adults with additional support needs, creating opportunities for them to acquire new skills, to grow in confidence and to be able to live more independent lives.
We also have Cumbernauld and Carbrain community hub, Cumbernauld community memorial peace garden and the Kilsyth environmental group, and there are many sports and arts organisations in my constituency, along with various community councils. All those organisations are built on the backs of the efforts of local people, and they all deserve support.
Those organisations, and the many thousands like them throughout Scotland, rely on every penny that they receive. They do not operate on the basis of having large reserves—they often depend on volunteers, modest fundraising efforts and the goodwill of local people. Any diversion of funds away from their core purposes, even if it is felt to be small, diminishes their ability to support those who most need and rely on the services that they provide.
However, we are seeing changes across the banking sector, with charges being introduced for accounts that are held by small charities and community groups, which previously had no such charges. For organisations with annual incomes that are often measured in only a few thousand pounds—indeed, sometimes less—even modest monthly fees and transaction charges can represent a significant proportion of their available resources.