Chairmans Report 10-12-2020

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we had to cancel this year’s AGM, with the new vaccines that are going to be available in the coming months I would like to hope that we can resume our monthly face-to-face meetings by the end of the spring next year.

Covid level/Testing Centre

As you know we are now back in level 3 of the Covid regulations, hopefully people will show some common sense and restrict their movements and gathering over the coming holiday period. It’s better to have one austere Christmas and be alive to celebrate next year than to put yourself and others at risk.

It has been reported that the number of people who visited the Covid Testing Centre in the town Hall between the 2nd and 9th of the month was around 5000. We have no information on the amount of confirmed positive tests recorded, when and if this information is provided it will be forwarded to the membership.

Christmas Lights

We can now see the fruit of our fight to have new Christmas lights in the town and they look fantastic. This is the best display I have seen in a long time in Johnstone and it has certainly lifted the spirit of many at a most difficult time.

Donations

Our donation of £500.00 to the Johnstone Business Consortium’s 2020 Every Child/Family Deserves appeal means that since our last AGM in October 2019 the CC has made donations to the value of £5150. This has been split between Covid related donations from our operating account of £3750.00 and Non-Covid related donations of £1400.00 from our funding account.

This was enabled by two things, the relaxation on how CC excess operating funds could be used with an appeal from David Low that CC’s might make donations to groups operating during the Covid crisis and from our running of the Johnstone Gala day in 2017/18/19 which meant we had money in our funding account that we could use at any time we wish. This represents money that came from the community being returned to the community or to help groups that have benefited members of our community. On February 20th we also hosted a public meeting in support of Johnstone Dementia Friendly Group. I would like to thank kay our Treasurer for providing an accurate rundown of these figures to me for this report.

Community Policing Supervisor for Johnstone

As mentioned previously we now have a new Community Policing Supervisor for Johnstone Sgt Manjit Singh-Kaila and I have forwarded our welcome to the town from the CC when we spoke on the phone recently. As far as I know there have been no other changes to the Community Policing Team, if any changes are made, I will forward them on. I was saddened to hear the one of the Constable’s on patrol in Spateston was bitten by a dog last week and I forward our best wishes to the Constable for a quick recovery.

That concludes my end of year report for 2020 and all that remains is for me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2021.

Tom Wallace

Chairman Johnstone Community Council