Inver 'pop-up shop' delivers the goods for Easter Ross village during coronavirus crisis
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A BIG-hearted member of an Easter Ross community has brought a “shop” to locals deprived of easy access to essentials during the coronavirus crisis.
Community activist Ceri Cattanach, who lives in Inver, came up with the honesty box idea to help people to follow lockdown stay at home guidance and protect frontline workers from unnecessary risk.
While Mrs Cattanach, who works at Tesco in Tain, funded the scheme at Inver Community Hall herself, the honesty of grateful locals has ensured she’s not out of pocket.
One local, Lauren Wilson, said: “It’s just a wee table in a silent community hall but doesn’t that just make your heart sing amid all the other nonsense?”
Cardiff-born Mrs Cattanach lived in Tain from 1975 to 1986 and moved back to live in Inver in 208 with husband, Lewis.
She has helped organise Halloween, Easter and Christmas parties and recently split the £1680 raised from a special raffle between the local school, football club and hall.
The makeshift shop includes all the essentials and daily newspapers. Her employer chipped in some sweets for children and Mrs Cattanach also organised Easter eggs.
She said: "I know from all the feedback from everyone that we need a local shop which when all this has ended is something Inver is looking to put in place. The only thing i would like to add is that I'm blown away by all the lovely photos and gifts and kind messages that have been sent. I am not doing it for that, I'm doing it to keep our village safe.
She said: “So many folk who are old and vulnerable have thanked me but I do what I do to keep people safe and wanted to do this for their mental and physical health, and to keep them out of supermarkets.”
Related: Invergordon shop delivers the goods during coronavirus lockdown
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