PEOPLE in Rankinston have been reflecting on the collective effort to fight Covid and keep community spirit alive during what has been another arduous year for the village.

Groups such as the Community Association and Community Larder recently organised a Santa night and pantomime for youngsters to get their festive fix.

In other areas, such as food provision, volunteers and helpers, dubbed locally as the ‘Food Fairies’, have been making sure the vulnerable and elderly are supported.

A spokesperson for the Food Fairies said: “At the beginning of Covid we started up a community larder. It was for emergency bags and this is how the Food Fairies came about – this is what they cried us because we were always delivering bags of food.

“All through lockdown, we delivered movie night parcels and arranged a Pumpkin Patch for Hallowe’en and a fireworks night.

“We’ve now got the Larder fully up and running. It’s like a mini shop but it’s all reduced prices. People can be vulnerable at different times for different reasons so it’s open to anyone in the village.”

The group decorated the community centre to allow local children to see Santa, and welcomed a full house to the pantomime.

Volunteers also delivered a three-course Christmas dinner free of charge to 55 seniors in the village, on top of surplus food from Marks and Spencer which is handed out to residents each Sunday.

The Fairies spent Christmas Eve delivering more M&S goodies as well as handing out Christmas Eve boxes to local children – but are hoping for more normality to village life in 2022.

The spokesperson added: “We hope to be using the Community Centre more. But what the New Year will bring? Who knows.”