When LEAP wanted to promote its shopping and distant befriending services, Scottish Fire and Rescue’s South Lanarkshire Community Action Team stepped up to help deliver more than 10,000 leaflets to almost 120 shops and pharmacies across the district.

The team had been working with South Lanarkshire’s wellbeing helpline when they heard that LEAP - one of the team’s community based partners - could use some help.

They contacted LEAP to offer their support and, when we mentioned our shopping and befriending services leaflet drop, they were happy to help. Their team of seven delivered leaflets in Cambuslang, Rutherglen, Blantyre, Bothwell, Uddingston, Hamilton, East Kilbride and Avondale.

Taylor McKeown from LEAP, worked with the team to make the leaflet drop possible. She said: “We are so grateful to the Community Action Team for doing this.

“We know there are still older people who haven’t heard about our shopping or befriending services or think LEAP has closed during this crisis, and we hope these leaflets change that.

“With the team’s help we’ve been able to get message out much more quickly.”

The Service’s Community Safety Advocate Julie-Ann Muir was one of the team distributing the leaflets. Julie said: “The pandemic has meant we have had to review how we carry out our usual community work and we were looking for new ways to support our communities and partner agencies in South Lanarkshire.

“Part of our work is to make sure people – especially older people – stay safe and healthy in their homes and that is what LEAP is also doing.

“When we heard about the services LEAP is offering during the pandemic we were more than happy to distribute the leaflets and hope lots of people take up the offer of help. The support on offer is much-needed and, for some people, will be vital.”