The alarming news on the front page of the Nairnshire Telegraph this week, stating that many families in Nairn are reliant on free food handouts has gone national:
"HUNDREDS of locals in a once-prosperous seaside town are relying on food handouts to survive. Skint residents swamped by debt are depending on charity for their meals in Nairn." More on the Sun website.
The plight of hungry debt-ridden families in Nairn is now centre stage in the local elections. See video number 2 in the post below to see what the candidates had to say about this at the hustings on Wednesday night. The impact of this story is hitting home elsewhere. The Gurn understands that one member of River Community Council is unhappy about his organisation being asked to give a £100 pound donation to the Nairn Jubilee celebrations with this issue in the background. This councillor will be asking that the money be given instead to those organisations preparing food parcels in Nairn.
7 comments:
Good for one member of the Community Council, I hope common sense and common decency prevails otherwise it's a very sick joke. Can we donate food in Nairn if we want to help and if so where, just in at the Blythswood shop?
Yes there are problems. But what are the real figures for families regularly receiving weekly food boxes in Nairn?
Hundreds or dozens? Have the local and national media got out of hand and damaging Nairn's reputation.
We have not heard how many of those in receipt of food parcels make the choice to spend their benefits on alcohol cigs. and/or drugs ?
No doubt there are genuine hardships and welfare issues but there are also wasters who have made their own lifestyle choices.
Well we all knew what was going to happen when the tories took over with his pet poodle (Alexander ) trotting at his heels and not saying a word.
I wonder how many Senior Citizens in Nairn are currently on alcohol cigs
and/or drugs.?
It is very easy to make assumptions and imagine stereo types but today debt and the sheer pressures of life come home to roost on all sectors of our communities.
Personally I think we may catch up with some of the problems in Ireland, Spain and Greece eventually, I hope I'm wrong but there seem to be fundamental problems that aren't going away. Actually I more than hope that that doesn't happen.
Last September this observer was over in Ireland for a while and whilst travelling listened to the chat shows on the radio, there were many people who were totally broken by debt and faced losing their houses, cars etc.
There was one case of a civil servant in what many would consider to be a good job but circumstances had caught up with him and he had just paid his mortgage rather than feed the kids. Professional charity workers tracked him down and it was a genuine case. Whatever the rights and wrongs of it that family were hungry.
As I said, I think we are catching up, maybe already there if you read the front page of the Nairnie. Stereotypes might exist still but this downturn can affect anyone. If a couple of wasters get a free meal then fine, as long as those that really need the food get it as well - whatever their background or circumstances.
@Graisg
A very balanced and fair view of the food parcel situation, and also of the economic plight in neighbouring countries
One aspect that hopefully Scotland will always care about and that is it's people. It's probably that desire that might well see us break ties with the Union as we see the likes of the NHS crumble in the rest of the UK.
We might not be as rich in terms of money in our pockets as say those in the SE of England but we will have immeasurable humanity and care for our fellow Scots
Lets hope that those in charge of the proposed Nairn Jubilee celebrations take note of what is happening to some people in Nairn and cut their cloth accordingly, much better to give than receive, and Jubilee food parcels would truly mark the day
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