Readers' letters

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Dear Ed, – Many thanks to the hundreds of people who descended upon Carstairs Junction and Village last Saturday.

The sight of three camels walking through the community, followed by Roman soldiers, school children and hundreds of visitors proved to be quite wonderful, and it certainly caught the attention of the national media.

I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who worked so hard to make the day such a success: Mrs Coulter, Mrs Campbell and Mrs Buchanan from Carstairs Primary; Mrs Murray, Mrs Gibson and their colleagues from Carstairs Junction Primary; Sergeant Scott McCutcheon and Strathclyde Police; and the various departments at South Lanarkshire Council who cleared roads, helped us in risk assessments, and aided us in every way.

We had teams of volunteers looking after every area of our Christmas Event – a true community led celebration. My thanks to all. – Yours etc.,

REV ALAN GIBSON,

Minister of the United Parish of Carstairs and Carstairs Junction.

WE'RE NOT CROSS!

Dear Ed, – On behalf of our Pensioners Association, I would like to express a sincere thank-you to the workforce at Broken Cross Surface Opencast for their kindness in donating 175 accrued from an auction and raffle.

At this time of the year it was a very generous action of these people to send it to the elderly.

The same amount was donated to senior citizens in Douglas.

Both parties are very grateful and wish all the workers a Merry Christmas and Happy Peaceful 2011. – Yours etc,.

KATE COWAN,

Secretary,

Rigside & Douglas Water Pensioners Association

Rigside.

A COSTLY DECISION

Dear Ed, – In the comprehensive spending review, the Chancellor announced that the government would be removing the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for those people who live in residential care homes.

Disability charities and organisations, such as Mencap, are campaigning against this decision.

We are all very concerned that, as an unintended consequence of this

proposal, many people with a learning disability will no longer be able to afford to go out and meet with friends and families, participate in external social activities and engage with their local communities.

I believe the government has misunderstood how disabled people use this important benefit. Without this vital lifeline, many disabled people in residential care will lose much of their independence. – Yours etc.,

JAMES FEENEY,

Hamilton Street,

Larkhall.

ROADS WELL GRITTED

Dear Ed, – I know many of your readers will be complaining about roads and lack of gritting in the recent cold snap.

However anyone who has to travel on a daily basis outwith the boundaries of South Lanarkshire or upon the motorways will tell you that our roads have been so well gritted and ploughed compared to everywhere else.

You take your life in your hands driving on a motorway or in North

Lanarkshire or West Lothian.

It hardly seems likely that the snow clouds stop on county boundaries yet so often I have driven to the county boundary and where I leave the black road of South Lanarkshire I am met by a road covered in snow.

In South Lanarkshire we can drive along main roads which are invariably black and safe.

Well done to these guys who work all hours and to the council for using our council tax on the roads! – Yours etc.,

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED.

GENEROUS SUPPORT

Dear Ed, – Meningitis UK would like to thank everyone who has supported us throughout 2010 – a year which has seen a number of exciting advances in the fight against meningitis.

We have been amazed by people's generosity and dedication despite the stresses and strains of the credit crunch.

Money raised has supported our vital research projects being carried out at universities throughout the country, all with the aim of wiping out meningitis through developing vaccines.

Despite great advances in the last 20 years with vaccines for Meningitis C, Hib and pneumococcal meningitis, there is still no vaccine for Meningitis B - the most common form of the disease in the UK. Six families sadly lose a loved-one to the brain bug each week.

Our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign aims to raise 7million to fund lifesaving research into eradicating all forms of meningitis. The number '4' signifies the devastating fact that meningitis can kill in under four hours.

We also distribute a wide range of material to raise awareness of the common symptoms and the need to act quickly, which can mean the difference between life and death.

If any of your readers would like to support our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, please call Meningitis UK on 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org - Yours etc.,

STEVE DAYMAN,Chief Executive of Meningitis UK.