EAST Ayrshire Provost Jim Todd wholeheartedly embraced the tradition set by previous incumbents when he took over the reins and pledged to support local charities to help them with practical issues, fundraising and awareness raising.

Following a very successful appeal for Prostate CancerUK, which helped establish local support groups and increase the numbers of men checking themselves and seeking medical advice, Provost Todd then adopted the Ayrshire Samaritans as his chosen charity for 2014-16.

Now, after a successful campaign lasting two years, Provost Todd has met with chair woman Cathy Gibson and members of the group, to celebrate the work of the volunteers, the council, and its partners, which raised £25,827.

But as he explains, bringing in money was not the primary objective of the work. He said: “As with our previous charity support, for organisations such as Alzheimer Scotland, Princess Royal Trust and East Ayrshire Carers, Combat Stress and Prostate Cancer UK, we’ve found that these charities can benefit from access to our expertise, facilities and partners just as much as they can from money. They want people to be more aware of the help offer and our team of officers can help co-ordinate whatever assistance they need to achieve that.

“At every possible opportunity over the past two years, I’ve promoted Ayrshire Samaritans, taking the chance to explain the fantastic work undertaken by these dedicated volunteers. And as always the generous people of East Ayrshire have risen to the occasion, fundraising and donating an amazing sum.

“Along the way we’ve hosted a reception to celebrate the group’s 50th Anniversary and thank all their volunteers. We’ve worked on press campaigns for Suicide Prevention Week and I’ve spoken, with the group, to Opportunities in Retirement at the Grand Hall. Our lifestyle Development Officer has promoted the charity during Men’s Health Week and in schools, and we’ve produced film, case studies, interviews and press releases, used in local press and social media, to support their volunteer recruitment drive.

“The charity’s premises at Titchfield Street were in need of some upgrading, so much of the money raised has been used to carry out this upgrade and provide new computer equipment. We’ve also worked with our Police Liaison Officer to help ease parking problems and our Risk Management Centre has been involved in providing safety advice and equipment to protect those working through the night. Through our introduction, the Fire and Rescue Board has also offered them use of facilities at the fire station in Kilmarnock for training purposes. It’s amazing what we can achieve in terms of assistance when we all work together."

For the coming year, Provost Todd is taking a new approach. He added: “Through my work with these charities and as Armed Forces Champion, I’ve become increasingly aware of the problems faced by many people, including veterans, who are isolated by health, age and various other circumstances. Our Vibrant Communities Teams are working hard to address these issues and there are also a number of excellent charities, dealing with specific problems faced by individuals, including veterans, older people and those with physical and psychological issues. For this reason I’ve decided rather than picking just one charity, to focus on raising awareness of the problems of social isolation and support those who are working to help those who most are in need.”