Dunbeath centre praised by Maree Todd for the work it does to support the community
THE work being done by the Dunbeath and District Centre to "support and strengthen" its community has been praised by north MSP, Maree Todd.
She paid tribute to the staff after a visit to the facility which is a health and wellbeing hub providing inter-generational activities and outreach services to communities in East Caithness.
The Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP was delighted with the plans to expand operations with a £1 million new-build centre that would provide "a multi-functional, energy efficient space, allowing staff to deliver an agile model of service to the community."
Following her trip, she said:"I had a wonderful visit to Dunbeath & District Centre (D &DC) this month where I all heard about the powerful work they do to support their community.
"D&DC were front and centre of the Covid-19 response in East Caithness where they adapted quickly to ensure vulnerable folk in the community were cared for, this included the delivery of hot meals, newspapers, prescriptions and shopping.
"It is community organisations like D&DC who the Scottish Government are seeking to learn from as we look to build community resilience across Scotland.”
"The centre supported 156 individuals self-isolating in 127 households and delivered 6000 meals and 7500 soups during the intense phase of Covid-19.
The SNP MSP added: "It was also fantastic to hear more about the plans for the new-build centre which would allow D&DC to expand its support to the community through larger, multi-functional premises. I look forward to seeing the project develop.
"A huge thank you to everyone at D&DC for all they do to support their community."
The proposed new single-storey building would be constructed on a site between the existing facility in Neil Gunn Road and the medical centre and includes space for car parking.
The new hub will be bigger and provide more activities and services for the users and will enable hairdressers, podiatrists and physiotherapists to bring their services to the community. It will also offer a venue for the NHS Highland Near Me service which allows patients to have appointments with healthcare professionals using a video call rather than attending in person.
The existing base, built 30 years ago to serve as a day care centre, can no longer cope with the extra demands being placed on it. Its replacement will almost triple its size and enable it to expand its catchment area.
It is hoped the health and wellbeing hub will be ready by March 2024.
The current centre has been earmarked as a holiday/respite break for individuals with special needs.