Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending the official launch of Compassionate Inverclyde as a charity in their own right.

Born out of Ardgowan Hospice in 2017, this project has grown from strength to strength and has helped our community in a variety of ways through the likes of their No One Dies Alone initiative and Back Home Boxes.

I have no doubt that this invaluable work will continue to thrive. We are hugely fortunate to have a forward-thinking local hospice who helped pave the way for these projects to come to fruition, and I want to pay tribute to Alison Bunce and all the staff and volunteers who do so much for Inverclyde.

On Friday, I restarted my regular cost of living surgeries to mark Challenge Poverty Week. Plus, as the colder weather sets in, the cost of heating our homes is at the forefront of everyone’s minds – especially now that many pensioners will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

I’ll be hosting another surgery next month with Independent Age to try to ensure older people who’re entitled to Pension Credit and therefore the Winter Fuel Payment receive this additional support.

There will also be other organisations offering energy advice present so that anyone not eligible for this help can seek advice on how to reduce their energy bills.

Finally, I am hosting a disability roundtable today with a range of local stakeholders and constituents to discuss the intersecting issues which reduce our town’s accessibility.

I was struck by how difficult it is for people in wheelchairs to navigate Greenock town centre, so I wanted to bring a range of businesses and agencies together so we can try to resolve these issues as a whole.