Prescriptions by rickshaw and a fish supper delivery service help keep vulnerable safe
HELPING with food and prescription deliveries to vulnerable people in communities took on various forms this year.
However, there are not many people who had their essential medicines dropped at their door by trishaw – a three-wheel rickshaw – or have local church members knock on their door with a fish supper delivery, but they are just a couple of the inspiring community projects that have lifted people’s spirits this year.
Volunteers with Cycling Without Age Scotland are usually seen taking care-home residents on days out to landmarks such as the Kelpies in the distinctive trishaws.
The popular day trips have sparked much interest from tourists who come across them and wonder if they can join in. It is a project that has taken off in several areas, including the Falkirk area, where it launched, and staff hope to expand to other parts of Scotland with the launch of the first city trishaw rides planned for Dundee.
During the initial lockdown, day trips had to stop when restrictions came in but, with retired doctors and healthcare staff among the volunteer trishaw pilots, they found a way to adapt what they do.
Christine Bell, CEO of Cycling Without Age Scotland, said: “Both our trishaw pilots and the people they take out were really missing the activity as it is a great day out. We have a number of people who volunteer who are retired medical
professionals who had the idea to put the trishaws to use to deliver prescriptions.
“We started up in the Denny and Dunipace area and it was a huge help to pharmacies and people struggling to get out at the height of the first lockdown.”
It is a movement started in 2012 in Denmark by Ole Kassow and Dorthe Pederson who wanted to help the elderly get back on their bikes, but had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw. Now 20,000 trishaw rides later and around 1,800 volunteers, the project in Scotland is going from strength to strength.
There are not many people who can pass up on the offer of a fish supper and it was one treat which some members of Torrance Parish Church in East Dunbartonshire could not resist.
Elders Alison Crawford, Marion
Murray and their team of volunteers have been delivering fish suppers to members of the congregation and such has been the level of community spirit that the recipients don’t have to pay a penny.
Mrs Crawford said: “I saw that a village down south had done this and I thought it was a great idea: who doesn’t love a fish supper? So we thought we would see if people were interested and it has just taken off.
“We have had so much support for it by way of donation that we have been able to offer it for free. Kirkintilloch fish and chip shop Ghilloni’s have been fantastic with us and helped us getting our orders ready. We are now delivering 50 fish suppers a week.
“It has been a great way to keep people connected. We phone up and ask what people would like, they have a set day and then a volunteer drops it off at their door socially distanced. It gives us a chance to chat to people and make sure that they are okay. Often just having someone to talk to for a little while can really help if they are feeling a bit isolated.”
With donations from the community, it is hoped the church fish-and-chip run can keep going into the new year.
Mrs Crawford added: “We have a friendship group at the church which would normally involve elders going to see people, but everything has all been a little different this year. Just being able to pop by for five minutes and catch up with people can all help.”