Hansard

I too congratulate Alison McInnes on bringing the debate to the chamber, and I thank her for the opportunity to focus on the challenges of raising a family in an area that I know well.

My family moved to Insch when I was 11 years old. As a pupil at Insch primary school and then at Inverurie academy, I became ever more aware as I grew up of the inequality of circumstances and opportunities facing young people in the Garioch and of the shared experiences of living in a rural area.

In some respects, the needs of vulnerable families in rural Aberdeenshire are similar to those of vulnerable families throughout the country. Many are struggling to make ends meet because of low pay or cuts in benefits, and many are finding that the public services that they previously relied on are under threat. In that sense, Home-Start Garioch is dealing with issues similar to those dealt with by Home-Start Aberdeen, which has just relocated successfully to the very centre of the city, at 1A Alford Place.

What is different in rural Aberdeenshire is the increased sense of isolation that families can feel when they are struggling to cope. It is therefore vital that a service such as Home-Start is available there, and that such services are delivered by people who understand what that relative isolation can mean.

Physical isolation has an impact. Bringing up a child in a cottage a mile from the nearest paved road and a long way from the nearest bus stop is a challenge in itself, but the lack of affordable housing in many of our rural centres sometimes makes such choices for parents unavoidable.

Social isolation has an impact too. Some of the kids in my class at school had to go to exceptional lengths in order to take part in any of the activities that happened outwith school hours, and that is still the case today. Parents often face the same difficulties if they do not have access to a car.

When things get tough for people, it can be an extra burden not to be able to meet and talk with others who are facing the same situation. Having Home-Start volunteers to turn to can make all the difference. Those volunteers can help and support parents who are dealing with a wide range of issues, but it is important to recognise that Home-Start Garioch is only one of several organisations that work together to help. It does not have to operate on its own.

The relationship with Aberdeenshire Council is important, especially in identifying vulnerable people who need extra support. Links with health services are important too, and I am sure that Home-Start staff and volunteers across the country will take an active interest in the future integration of health and social care services and how that impacts on their role in the third sector.

As Alison McInnes reminded us, Home-Start operates across the UK and around the world, and there is within it a network of Home-Start schemes in the north-east. There are schemes in Banff, Buchan, Kincardine, Deeside, Angus, Aberdeen and Dundee. They all make use of the skills and experience of volunteers to make a difference to people’s lives. That volunteering is absolutely critical.

I want to mention another local voluntary organisation, Gordon Rural Action, which works with many of the same families and provides advice on welfare issues and debt problems across the wider Gordon area. It provides support to clients who face the threat of eviction or court action for debt recovery. It gives specialised support that backs up the voluntary effort of Home-Start Garioch volunteers.

The work done by Home-Start Garioch and its partner organisations in the past 20 years has been invaluable and has made a real difference to those who have turned to it for help. The staff and volunteers are to be commended for their efforts, and I wish them the best of luck for the next 20 years of supporting families in their local area.