CalMac’s “shining star” awarded MBE
LOCAL MAN Eric Ruthven has been awarded a MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.
43-year-old Eric, from Dunoon, works for Caledonian MacBrayne in the mail room at its Gourock head office, and staff and customers were celebrating his success as the honours list was made public earlier this week.
The award was given to Eric for services to the community.
Eric has worked for CalMac for eleven years, but his association with the company goes back much longer.
After leaving school, Eric attended the Fitzgerald Centre in Greenock and was involved in several courses at James Watt College’s Faculty of Learning Support. During his regular ferry travel from Dunoon to Gourock, he established a rapport with members of staff in CalMac offices, on the ships and with fellow travellers. He made several personal contacts during this time with staff, who were always keen to have him in the Gourock office helping out until it was time for his ferry back to Dunoon.
An approach from his tutor led to Eric being offered work on a more formal basis after an initial period of unpaid work, one day a week. Gradually it became apparent that CalMac staff were able to offer significant support to Eric, who has gone on to considerably enhance his writing, reading and communication skills, leading to greatly improved levels of personal assurance and self-confidence. Eric has now been employed as Clerical Assistant with the Company since January 1997. He is now well-known to most regular travellers on the Gourock to Dunoon ferry and is a much-admired member of staff.
CalMac Chairman Peter Timms said: “Eric is a remarkable individual who has overcome his Downs Syndrome disability to achieve astonishing results which have had a significant effect on the wellbeing of many other people. This has elevated him to his unchallenged status as CalMac’s most popular member of staff in the Support Services operation at Gourock.
“He now takes his share of responsibility in the mailroom operation and handles other responsibilities related to brochure distribution. CalMac staff continue to contribute to Eric’s wellbeing in cooperation with his medical and social advisers. He is a fully integrated, highly motivated and hugely popular member of the CalMac community, who is unfailingly willing and helpful, and extremely popular with staff and customers alike.”
As well as working with CalMac, Eric spends a lot of his own time raising money for various charities, church activities and local community causes, through sponsored walks and runs in particular. He has raised many thousands of pounds through his remarkable efforts and continues to amaze with his diligence, commitment and achievement. His most recent triumphs include participating in the Dunoon Relay for Life annually where he has raised over £1,000 on each occasion for Cancer Research UK Scotland out of a total of £30,000.
Speaking on behalf of all his colleagues, CalMac Managing Director Lawrie Sinclair said:
“Eric has met some massive challenges throughout his life with remarkable fortitude and a great deal of humour and resourcefulness.
“None of this has affected his cheerfulness, his friendships, his commitment to CalMac, or his willingness to raise money for charities while he is able. He is a remarkable individual who has led a lifetime of achievement. This award has brought a great deal of satisfaction to us all and we share in the privilege of knowing and working with our very own shining star!”


Transport Minister to meet on ferries
Following Dunoon Community Council’s recent call for a public meeting to address the ongoing Gourock-Dunoon ferry route issue, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson will be coming to Dunoon later this month to discuss the matter.
In a statement to the Observer, Argyll and Bute SNP MSP Jim Mather said: “People are now seeing that there has been a great deal of work done on the ferry issue in recent months. This is a result of direct attention from the Transport Minister, who will be in Dunoon on January 14 to meet local opinion formers directly and discuss his thinking with them.
“Since May, I have been active on the matter, making continuous specific representation to the minister and impressing on him the criticality of the ferry services in helping to create the right conditions to foster economic growth, improve amenity for local people and underpin the viability of local businesses. All through that process, I have found Mr Stevenson to be well briefed, knowledgeable and open to listening to the needs of Cowal and Dunoon.
“In addition, I have seen the evidence of the considerable amount of work that he and his officials have been doing to achieve the above goals.
Mr Mather advised that during his visit to Dunoon just before Christmas, he had met with local ferry campaigners and that the matter had also been discussed during his surgery.
“All that feedback has been accurately relayed to the minister,” he confirmed. “I now expect to see Mr Stevenson review his options with local people and then table specific proposals for action.”
No further details about the January meeting are available at this stage, and it is not yet clear who will be in attendance. Dunoon Community Council has insisted that it be included, saying that it will still call for a public meeting if the opportunity to express the views of the people of the local community is not made available.


Sturgeon intervenes on Vale
The Independent Scrutiny Panel (ISP) appointed to examine NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s (NHSGGC) proposals for the Vale of Leven Hospital has now released its report.
The proposals include the transfer of unscheduled medical admission (UMA)services from the Vale of Leven to the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) in Paisley. The ISP report indicates its view that the NHS board has “failed to convince the majority of stakeholders” in its engagement with the community and that “a wider measure of understanding should have been achieved at this stage prior to wider public consultation.”
Calling for the board to do additional work in alleviating concerns over ambulance journeys, the report also called for the board to investigate other opportunities.
However, despite the report’s recommendations and the best efforts of campaigners and the local community, at the December meeting of NHSGGC, board members were reported to have made the decision to continue to develop plans to transfer UMA services from the Vale to RAH.
Local campaigners have reacted with shock, calling the board “arrogant” and “dismissing the views of 18,000 people”.
Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon has now become directly involved with the issue. NHSGGC has expressed concerns over clinical safety if the minister overrules the board, claiming that there are “significant issues” in ensuring the safety of UMA provision at the Vale of Leven.
A statement from Ms Sturgeon confirmed: “The health board has not yet satisfied the ISP of its position, nor has it persuaded the public.
“That is why further independent scrutiny is required before steps are taken that would lead to the loss of a valued local service. The independent scrutiny panel will reconvene urgently to examine any new evidence and in the meantime the health board will ensure the continued effectiveness of the service.”
Vivien Dance of the Vale Hospitalwatch campaign said: “We are working hard to keep ahead of the Health Board and its aggressive approach to the Vale.
“The board is determined to downgrade the Vale to nothing more than a walk-in clinic to save the £30m underlying recurring deficit inherited from Argyll and Clyde. The lack of clinical strategy for the Vale, the lack of resources and investment allocated to it bear testimony to the agenda that drives every one of their actions.
“Nicola Sturgeon must show clear evidence of the SNP’s manifesto commitment to deliver services as local as possible. However, given the gauntlet just thrown by NHSGGC, she must now reveal her master plan to return the Vale to its rightful and essential place to serve the populations of West Dunbarton and Argyll and Bute.
“We will continue to keep pressurising the politicians and in the New Year we will be meeting again to determine our next move in the campaign.
“We have not gone away and will not do so until an agreed future for our hospital is set down and the Health Board instructed to “make it so”.


Springfest 2008 cancelled
Lomond and Clyde Springfest will not take place in 2008. Anne Urquhart, who has been the main organiser since the festival began in 2005 is not prepared to perform such a demanding role again. She said: “The task is enormous and really takes over your life. It needs a substantial commitment from a bigger number of people than we have at present on the committee, people who will fill in funding applications, raise money from the business community, promote and market the festival, co-ordinate all the arrangements, act as stewards; in short a small army of folk with a wide variety of skills.
“We just have not managed to attract enough new blood so the committee has decided to give it a rest for 2008. If there is an upsurge in interest then perhaps we might see Springfest happening again. We will maintain our website at www.lomondclydespringfest.co.uk and post any new information on that for anyone who may be interested. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals, organisations and businesses in the area that have supported our efforts over the last three years.”