 The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 7.928, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on East Renfrewshire good causes. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those members who would wish to speak in the debate to please press the request-a-speak buttons. I call on Jackson Carlaw to open the debate around seven minutes, please, Mr Carlaw. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. This is really quite an old-fashioned member's business debate, in that it is absolutely entirely unique to my constituency in the immediate surrounding area. I know that there is a fashion these days to bring national issues into these member's business debates, but this is very local. It's about my constituency. I thought I better get in quick because if the Boundary Commission has its way, I won't have one. It is very much about a local constituency, and I minded just a few weeks ago on the Monday holiday after the coronation, which was a day about giving service, that his mother's coronation all those years before still had underpinning it the concept of duty. Duty is less fashionable these days, but the two things duty and service are incredibly well represented in East Renfrewshire good causes and in the person of Russell McMillan, who is in the gallery this afternoon, along with his wife, Yvonne. Russell set this charity up in 2007, at the same year that I was elected, and has run the charity successfully in the 16 years since. Why? Because as he lay in bed in hospital after surgery, after which he had cured his tight one insulence and kidney failure, he decided that he would do something in return for the life that had been given to him. He does this as well as a man who is registered blind. In the 16 years that there have been since, Russell has characterised his charity as East Renfrewshire good causes starts where the state stops. He has single-handedly in those years since raised £1.7 million for charity good causes. That has assisted the lives of 6,000 people, delivering acts of kindness, as Russell puts it, in memory of the organ donor who saved his life. East Renfrewshire good causes provides real practical improvements for people in an almost limitless way and supports individuals in hard times with essential tasks. Although it began in East Renfrewshire, the charity is now helping in Glasgow, in South Lanarkshire, in Renfrewshire and in East Ayrshire. It started out with the provision of a new wheelchair for use in assisting carers with a disability to go out for some respite in August 2017. The charity is going on to provide a very wide range of use of supports, including wet floors, shower adaptations for elderly and vulnerable individuals, tablet devices for people with learning disabilities at Cosgrove care, assisting with travel costs for people who have been diagnosed with cancer so they can travel to hospital for treatment, transport costs for vulnerable young people to get them to and from school and nursery, baby monitoring equipment for infants with complex medical needs, place spaces and equipments for young people with additional support needs, food and toiletries for people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation, grants to support families experiencing financial difficulty with clothing for their children, mobility equipment such as scooters to allow people living with a disability or elderly individuals to maintain their independence. What is remarkable is that Russell in the way that he operates the charity is able to respond very quickly to emerging circumstances and can complete essential tasks within a short space of time. The key thing that Russell has done is not to second-guess where a need exists but to seek referrals from all those who are professionally qualified to establish where that need exists and then to direct the funding speedily and directly to them. It has a positive effect in so many other ways too because with Russell's assistance it allows practical home improvements which allows those people who are currently in the term bed blocked in hospital to be able to get out relatively by instructing local contractors to undertake vital remedial works to properties which lets that person get home. He's also worked in concert with others, with my colleague Jim McLean, the councillor for Newtomern South and Eaglesome, who has himself raised over £1 million for his local community in his lifetime and who was one of those who worked with Russell to secure a £100,000 contribution from the national lottery, which is helping with the raising of funds just now as well. Russell, of course, is also prepared to do anything anywhere. He appeared on Songs of Praise last year, explaining how his strong Christian faith has guided him in the work that he does. He also appeared in 2011 at a short-lived ITV game show hosted by Gethan Jones, where he won £121,000 for his charity at that time, too. He has also secured partnerships with local developers. Carla Holmes and Wimpy, who are developing a major new facility in Eastwood at Maidenhill, are working with him, donating £50—a roof donation—of £50 for every property built to Russell's charity, which has contributed a further £17,100. He has worked with technology companies as well to ensure that they are able to deliver and assist, too. Russell said that the problem is not the raising of funds, but the problem is being able to get the funds to people. Here, Minister, he has an ambition and a request. That is for us as politicians to make the pathway between those people who are able to undertake assessments and the referrals to him to be much easier. Bizarrely, some of those organisations, some of those professional services feel that, somehow, by making a referral to him, there is an implicit criticism of them from not being able to provide the funding for the service that he is able to provide, as if that is somehow a failing on their part. That is not his concern. His concern is that, with the funds that he has, he is able to offer assistance quickly, directly and to the people that matter. I hope that there will be examples of what Russell does elsewhere. I see Paul O'Kane and Tom Arthur, who are both part of East Renfordshire, and I am sure Bob Doris across in Glasgow, who will be others who are benefiting from Russell's fantastic efforts in Eastwood. However, I hope that there are others elsewhere who are similarly motivated and minded, because it is absolutely extraordinary what an individual from circumstances in which many of us would have thought only of ourselves and of our immediate situation and how we were going to cope and would life be the same and was it worth it. All of that, instead, sat there at that moment and thought, I am going to turn the life that I have been given back to the advantage of others. I commend that, I applaud it, and I believe that that is exactly the sort of public spirited initiative that we as politicians should applaud and should support. Thank you, Mr Carlaw. I now call Bob Doris to be followed by Sandish Gohani. I congratulate Jackson Carlaw for securing this evening's debate, and I want to take some time to record my thanks to all of East Renfordshire's good causes for the help and support that they offer those in need within East Renfordshire. Now, as a Glasgow representative, I am always happy to commend and praise good work and support offered by charities outwith the city that I represent. However, there is clearly a selfish motivation in speaking about the excellent work of East Renfordshire good causes. As I know, Mr Carlaw's motion indicates that the charity is now active in Glasgow, as he has mentioned in this evening's debate. Whilst I suspect that absolutely is the case, it may not yet have reached the north of the city, Mr Carlaw, to Mary Hill and Springburn for what I represent as a Glasgow representative, but it is still right and proper that I record my thanks. I can see that Russell McMillan is indeed in the gallery with his wife today. I have to say Russell, I know you from your website that I looked at in preparation for this evening's debate, and you are the project coordinator and founder. By all accounts, Jackson Carlaw has said a remarkable individual, and I note from that said the same website that you have been driven by your faith and also, and thanks to the NHS support that you receive during your own health adversities, as Mr Carlaw has mentioned. Whatever the motivation, however, many individuals and families have been assisted for many years, not just by Mr McMillan, but also by the many volunteers and the donors who support the charity. I was actually struck by the range and the flexibility of grants issued by East Renfordshire good causes. The charity reports on its grants issued every six months, quite an open and transparent reporting mechanism. I was very impressed by that every six months, and I wanted to offer three examples from the last report. Part funding, a breakfast club enabling vulnerable children to be fed and of a social group before school, run by volunteer teachers. 50% funding to that, so partnership funding, getting funding from elsewhere. Fully funding, floaring for a pension with a cancer diagnosis to enable comfort in their home. 100% funded, a small thing to many, but a major thing, I am sure, for the individual who received that grant. Part funding, an essential wardrobe for an adult with mild learning difficulties who contributes to the organisation and helps others, a self-employed worker, on low income who needs just a little hand financially, a 50% grant in relation to that. I can see the variety of grants, the range of grants and the flexibility that is shown by the organisation, which I think is remarkable. The report says that, in the six months to March 2023, between goods purchased and donated, the financial benefit of the good causes is £113,000, alone benefiting 624 people in the last six months. I am lucky to have wonderful charitable organisations across medium and spring. I am sure that Presiding Officer expects to mention one or two of those in the debate. It is hugely important to acknowledge them and demonstrate that they are appreciated. That is what this debate seeks to do for East Renfrewshire volunteers, and quite rightly so. As I was reading the various grants made by good causes, I was reminded of Springburn's-based North Glasgow Baby Food Bank in my constituency. It offers a whole range of vital support to families, from nappies to wipes to baby formulae, to baby clothes and toys, and much more. That is why I am raising this individual group. It makes sure that those who have access to a variety of support are offered by the Scottish Government as well. That will be the best start foods, the Scottish child payment or school clothing grants, for example, to mention just three. They also know that not everyone qualifies and often those who need a little bit extra help will not receive the support that the state provides. That is what volunteers from the food bank do just as East Renfrewshire good causes does. As Mr Carlaw said, they start with the state stops. That is why I wanted to give that example from a charity in my constituency. Finally, a week in Friday, I will be at a local awards night in Maryhill, called People Make Maryhill. I will see a very public acknowledgement at a very local level to thank many of those who go the extra mile to help the community across Maryhill. Such volunteers do not seek acknowledgement, but it is right and proper that they are recognised. Likewise, it is right and proper that we acknowledge and thank all those who have come to East Renfrewshire good causes over the years and delighted to part in this afternoon's debate. I am delighted to contribute to today's Members' Debate proposed by my colleague Jackson Carlaw. Jackson has already told us the story of Russell McMillan, and it is such an inspiration. As for East Renfrewshire good causes, this indeed is success personified. Learning, growing, mastering over 16 years, good causes has delivered essential targeted support, helping vulnerable local people, helping the local community, helping our NHS. For effective fundraising and garnering support, third sector organisation of businesses, East Renfrewshire good causes has distributed over 1.7 million in goods and services since it started in May 2007. That is 6,000 people. It has helped. This is a story about delivery. Scottish Government do please take note. As a doctor and an opposition spokesperson on health, I particularly struck with good causes initiatives that assist with practical home support improvements to ensure that elderly, vulnerable people in hospital can return home safely. This is so valuable. Here in Scotland, we have wards full of medically fit patients that are desperate to be discharged home, but their care is unavailable in their home environment. This has led to health boards stopping non-urgent elective care, or counselling long-awaited operations. The current Deputy First Minister promised to end delayed discharge when she was Health Secretary back in 2015. Unfortunately, there are 1,800 delayed discharges in Scottish hospitals each day now. We have yet to see solutions, but in East Renfrewshire, good causes has taken the initiative instead to help free our hospital beds for others by ensuring that people can get back to their own improved homes. As we heard, the setup of the charity allows it to respond quickly to emerging circumstances and to deliver real practical help wherever it is needed. We believe that our LHS should be modern, efficient, local and accessible for all. This will certainly entail internal structural reform and a willingness to embrace new technologies as well as change, but to deliver better healthcare locally, we need to do more to support local organisations as they really understand the needs and challenges of people in their communities. I am pleased to see that East Renfrewshire good causes have expanded its reach and is now active in Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and even East Ayrshire. There's is a solution-driven delivery focus model, one that we can all learn from and replicate, albeit tailored to local situations. Russell McMillan and your team, we salute you. I refer members to my register of interest as a practicing NHS GP. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate this evening. Indeed, I thank Jackson Carlaw for bringing this issue to the chamber. As Jackson Carlaw referred to in his opening, it is a hyper-local issue, but with far-reaching effects across West Scotland more generally, it is great to be talking about East Renfrewshire good causes in this chamber. It is an organisation that I have known well, being an East Renfrewshire boy. Like Jackson Carlaw, having spent much time working in the community is well thought of across our community in East Renfrewshire. I think that, most importantly, it has attracted consensus across the political divide. Very often in East Renfrewshire, that can be hard to achieve, but it is remarkable the amount of support that there is for the work that Russell McMillan and Yvonne have done over many, many years. I was reflecting, just as I was sitting here about the time that we come together across political lines to mark the sad passing of Joe Cox in the great get-together, and we reflect on her words that we have more in common than that which divides us. I think that that gets to the heart of what we are talking about this evening with East Renfrewshire good causes. I think that the work that Russell has done, rooted in his faith, is about finding the commonality that we all have, our shared humanity, the fact that we all, at different times in our life, experience adversity and often need the helping hand of neighbours and friends to get us through. I think that what we have heard from the contributions this evening are some of the really practical examples of the way that Russell and East Renfrewshire good causes have reached out as good neighbours and good friends and supported so many people in all of the communities of East Renfrewshire. It was good to hear Jackson Carlaw reference some of the local support that has been experienced across the council. Indeed, when I was a counciller in East Renfrewshire, I know that my colleague Councillor Allan Lafferty, former counciller now, is very supportive of the work. I know that, indeed, Jackson Carlaw, Paul Masterson, the former MP, Kirsten Oswald, the current SNP MP and Jim Merthyn, Ken McIntosh, names from Labour's past who are all supportive of this work. Again, I think that it shows the breadth and depth of the support in the community. I think that it goes far beyond because it is about people in our community as well. In preparing for the debate, I was reflecting on some of the cases where perhaps the most difference was made. I was reflecting on back in 2009, a young girl from Netherlea with cerebral palsy, who was a wheelchair user, but using a power-assisted walking frame, she was able to stand upright and have her independence. She was able to travel to different places, but without the technology and the equipment, she was unable to do that. East Renfrewshire are good causes that came to the rescue and the aid of that family to be able to provide money towards that facility, to access her own standing frame and increase her independence and cut down on her reliance on others. I was also reflecting on the amount of work that East Renfrewshire are good causes does for young people in concert with our local schools. I thought that I would just share a testimonial that I read from the deputy headteacher of Mern's primary school, who said that East Renfrewshire are good causes never fails to bring about positive change in our community. Without their support and contributions, it would not be possible for some of our pupils to participate in activities with their peers. Likewise, the manager of the East Renfrewshire carer centre offered a testimonial saying that East Renfrewshire are good causes is a true friend of the carer centre and has over a number of years supported many carers to purchase vital equipment, without which their caring role in life would generally be much harder. Those are two excellent examples of community testimonial about the difference that East Renfrewshire are good causes makes to so many people across the area. It is important that we all take an opportunity to say thank you, because I know that Russell's whole reason for starting East Renfrewshire are good causes was his own thank you in terms of his life experience and the gift that he was given. However, it is important that, in this chamber and as a community in East Renfrewshire, we say thank you very publicly in this Parliament to Russell and to Yvonne and to all those who are involved in supporting the work of the charity for everything that they have done and everything that they will continue to do, not just in East Renfrewshire but beyond its borders and offer, indeed, once again our support to all of that work. I am very grateful. I now call on Minister Paul MacLennan to respond to the debate around seven minutes, please minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thanks to fellow members for attending this afternoon. I am delighted to have been asked to close this debate on behalf of the Scottish Government. I thank Jackson Carlaw for bringing forward this motion. It's great, as you said, to see an actual local motion and coming back too many times we're talking about national issues, but it's great to recognise the local impact that Russell has been making and other volunteers across that, so thank you for that. I have to say, you know, listening and reading about Russell, it's truly inspirational in terms of that and coming back to the point that Jackson Carlaw said as well about local service and GA and sometimes it's too easy just to accept that and acknowledge it and not actually think about it in a more deeper way. So Russell, we salute you in terms of the work that you've done over a long period of time in that regard. So I'd like to offer my thanks to fellow MSPs for attending and taking part in the debate today and we've all given examples in terms of that. Reading, obviously, in preparing for the debate, I was humbled by the range of activity that the good causes and then for sure that carries out. Now we heard from Jackson Carlaw that charity is reaching out beyond its boundaries, so again that's just shown the ambition of the charity there. So it's having a positive impact on lives of so many. And again, researching that, we've seen that charity is provided over £1.6 million in goods and services and it's helped over 5,500 people. So it shows you the range that's been looked at in terms of that. So often what we might see as a small gesture or help in hand can really turn someone's life around. So the drive, determination and creativity displayed by Russell and his fundraising efforts is exceptional. So we thank him for his passionate commitment to improving the lives of his neighbours and to supporting vulnerable people in East Renfrewshire and the surrounding areas. Talking more broadly, Scotland is fortunate to have a rich and vibrant voluntary sector. There are over 46,500 voluntary organisations active in this country. Their turnover is £8.5 billion. That illustrates just how important the sector is to both the economy and the wellbeing of people and in communities. Bob Doris mentioned and said the comment about people make very hill. Volunteers like Russell help make Scotland the country that it is. Now 89 per cent of voluntary organisations are local. So the range from small grass-root community groups, art and small sports clubs, preschool, daycare facilities, village halls, culture and art venues and major housing, health and social care providers. I think part of the challenge for us all, whether that's within our own constituencies, whether that's within local authorities or within government, is making sure that there is much input into that in terms of working with government as close as possible. I think that something I would like to take away and come back to Jackson Carlaw in terms of that as well. I think that's a challenge to us all. Now every day hundreds of volunteers give their time for free and if they're on free, well just as Mr McMillan and his team do. Their unpaid efforts help us to address some of the biggest challenges we face, from mental and physical health to social isolation. I'm on this from thoughtful acts like checking in a neighbour to participate in a local litter pick or doing a few hours behind the counter near local charity shop. Volunteers make an amazing contribution to the communities and we all know that. We could probably name lots of volunteers in their own constituencies in that regard. Volunteering is the invisible thread that binds our communities together but it can often be taken for granted as I said before. People make vital contributions every day to their families, communities and societies as a whole. Doing what they believe in without fanfare or reward and because they believe in a fair society. Paul O'Kane talked about the shared humanity and I think that that's embedded. Volunteers I think embeds that principle right across Scotland. So it's right and important that we take this opportunity to acknowledge their true value and that value has never been more evident than in the last few years as we recover from Covid. We've seen the vital role of volunteer in the times of crisis, the pandemic, our reaction obviously to the war in Ukraine. So we have weather events and cost of living. Volunteers have undertaken many different roles and provided practical help including food distribution, shopping, medicine delivery and making welfare calls to vulnerable people. I suppose there's a licence to learn from that when Covid first struck. We see resilience groups come up and literally appear overnight. Now there's a licence to learn about how we can take that into detail, how we distribute it, how governments work, how council authorities work and we often said and we've probably all heard the comments saying it was easy to do it, why can't we do it now? So again that's something I think we all need to learn. In terms of that, so that did and I think continues to show incredible community spirit so the kindness and generosity has helped thousands of people across Scotland has really made a difference. So that's another reason I'm pleased to help praise the efforts of East Renfrewshire Good Causes in this chamber. Scotland should be proud of its volunteers. Russell we're very proud of you and I'm glad to mark this today and respond to Jackson Carlaw in terms of that. So that helps us make a better country. But volunteers are not just about giving, it's good for the volunteer too, it's building skills, enhances employability and support well-being. It can offer unique opportunities to gain new skills and expertise and that can be part of something special. The volunteer action plan was published last year was co-produced with partners across the third sector. It aims to support people to volunteer through lives from school to retirement. People can gain most from expensive volunteer and often perceive barriers to them in doing so. We want to tackle stereotypes around about what volunteer is and who does it. We want to increase opportunities available to volunteer, winning the bread of opportunities and increasing access for underrepresented groups. Jackson Carlaw again mentioned the importance of creating pathways and referrals and how that makes it easy for charities to provide support as soon as possible. Again, that's something that I'll take away and come back to in regard because I think that's vitally important in that regard. The Solitaire events are the Solitaire awards of the Scottish Government's way of celebrating, recognising and rewarding the commitment, contribution and achievements of volunteers in Scotland between the ages of 12 and 25. Participants gain nationally recognised certificates signed by Scottish Government ministers for the hours of volunteering that they carry out. In 2022-23 alone, more than 470,000 volunteer awards hours were logged and more than 11,000 Solitaire certificates were issued. I think that the key thing—I think that we've probably all seen examples of that—is that local recognition events are very, very important in our own areas. During Volunteers Week, which runs from 1 to 7 June, we encourage everyone to recognise efforts of Scotland's past, present and future volunteers and say thank you. I call on colleagues across Parliament to recognise the skills, kindness and commitments of Scotland's volunteers. I'd encourage them to share volunteer stories and highlight the enormous bread of volunteer opportunities on offer to help and to inspire others to get involved. Once again, in conclusion, I thank Jackson Carlaw for highlighting the important work of Russell McMillan. Russell, once again, we salute you for the work that you've done and continue to do in East Renfrewshire and beyond. More broadly, the volunteers across the country help to glue our society together and make Scotland stronger.