Meeting of the Parliament 01 March 2016
Good evening, Presiding Officer. I congratulate Kenny MacAskill on securing this debate about Caring in Craigmillar. Kezia Dugdale MSP sends her apologies for not being able to join us and wishes the organisation the very best. She recognises the good work that it does. I join her in congratulating the organisation, its staff and its volunteers on the truly local community spirit that they have, and I say well done to them.
The value that third sector organisations such as Caring in Craigmillar provide to people who are elderly, disadvantaged and suffering from isolation is priceless. Sometimes, we do not consider the value that such organisations bring to our communities. I assure them and the people who benefit from their provision that local authorities and Governments are just not capable of providing the one-to-one service that they provide. I feel personally indebted to such organisations.
It is particularly important that local areas have day care facilities. A phone line service that gives morning and evening phone calls to people who are in need is a clear way of reducing isolation.
We always underestimate people’s need. I know for a fact, through the experiences of my constituents, that any contact is always welcome, because it reassures people in their daily lives.
In my constituency, elderly care centres such as ASRA, Mel Milaap, Shanti Bhavan, the Chinese day care centre and GOPWA all play a vital role in supporting and helping community groups. Many such groups make a difference to the lives of elderly people in our communities. I thank them for all the hard work that they do.
Many of us tend to overlook the amount of hard work that volunteers do. I know that they are sometimes accused of being busybodies and interfering, but we should ask the people who receive the services, because they will tell a completely different story about how valuable the services are and how they value the contact. The third sector is the backbone of today’s society and we should never be too shy to respect it, recognise its contribution and thank it for its contribution. I say again to all the volunteers and staff in community groups: please keep up this very valuable work.
Kenny MacAskill has—rightly—recognised one such group for its good work, which we can see on the website. I am pleasantly surprised to see that such good work is being done. It needs to be supported consistently. Kezia Dugdale has promised that she will always be there for the organisation because she recognises the good work that it does.
To close, I will make a personal point. I genuinely and truly wish the very best for all the third sector organisations that make such a valuable contribution to our society. Like many of my colleagues, I will always be there to support them.
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