A TRIBUTE has been paid in the Scottish Parliament to resilience groups throughout East Lothian.

Hundreds of kind-hearted volunteers from across the county have stepped forward to help vulnerable members of society during the coronavirus crisis.

Volunteers in every town and village have done everything from providing hot meals and walking dogs to collecting shopping and prescriptions.

Those efforts were recognised by the county’s MSP, Iain Gray, who tabled a motion at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

He said: “From the outset of this crisis, the response from every community across East Lothian has been absolutely outstanding.

“Local people have demonstrated great community spirit and compassion for their neighbours, with thousands becoming involved in local resilience groups and other community support activity. Everyone involved. . . has come together to protect and support the vulnerable, especially those in the shielding group, through this most difficult of times. This community togetherness will come as no surprise to local people, who know that we look after one another here.”

The motion thanks community groups and calls on the Scottish Parliament to recognise and commend the outstanding response to the Covid-19 pandemic by resilience groups and volunteers across East Lothian; notes that over 1,500 volunteers have become involved in community support activity via these groups, helping to organise and carry out a wide range of tasks to inform, advise and assist residents, especially people who are shielding or self-isolating; acknowledges the important work undertaken by staff at East Lothian Council, especially its local area partnerships, community councils, community and residents’ associations and groups, charities and voluntary groups and businesses to help establish, co-ordinate and support the resilience effort to ensure that the most vulnerable in the community have the support that they need during the crisis, and thanks everyone involved in this activity for their contribution to community resilience and cohesion across the county during this unprecedented time.