Invergordon shop staff deliver the goods as community rallies round in coronavirus fight
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NEW friendships and ways of ensuring the most vulnerable don’t miss out are being forged in an Easter Ross community faced with the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus crisis.
Staff at the Invergordon Co-op on the town’s High Street have coped with the panic-buying phase – which saw people from as far afield as Aberdeen and Glasgow coming to try and bulk buy – to then deal with queues and the challenges of social distancing.
Manager Lorraine Davidson said community spirit quickly kicked in with deliveries being established for people without family and unable to get to the store. She said: “My team have been stars. The attitude is: ‘We have a crisis and we’re going to get through it together’.
“Some of the people we see are losing their jobs and worried about paying mortgages and feeding their kids. Others are sitting at home all day and we might be the only ones they speak to. We plan to keep in contact with some of the new customers we have once this is all over.
"Sitting alone all day in the house with no one to talk to at a time like this is very hard. We might be the only point of contact during the day for some people."
She said the store had become aware of some older people who don't have family locally and who would benefit from help. She said locals had rallied around well and shown excellent community spirit. When one elderly customer expressed an interest in a particular type of spy story for reading material, someone in Thailand got in touch to say they could help, promptly sending a PDF which was printed and delivered to the delighted customer in question.
She praised the Co-op for its support of staff and said she had no problem filling new posts during the crisis when the need arose.
Mary Meechan (84), who has childhood memories of World War II, is among those grateful for doorstep deliveries.
"I was just a child during the war but I do remember getting up at night and going to shelters. If people can pull together in war-time then surely we can try our best just now too?"
She said: “The Co-op has been excellent. I’ve no relatives here and they have really gone out of their way to be helpful."
Her message to anyone anxious or thinking about stockpiling is simple: "Don't be anxious. Nobody will be left nothing if we pull together. We have to be very careful and people do need to take a telling."
She said she was well aware of the major challenges faced by many people locally. She said: "I do feel for the young people. I've had my life."
Mrs Meechan, who moved to the area with her late husband Jack in the 1970s when he took up a post at the former aluminium smelter, recalls its closure as another huge shock to the community. "I remember the day it closed very clearly. You just have to cope and get on with it.
"You have to take what life throws at you and smile."
Find the latest news on how Ross-shire is fighting coronavirus here.
What's happening in your area? Email stories and pictures to hector.mackenzie@hnmedia.co.uk
