Community Activities
Ian Brown Funeral Directors in Lanark, South Lanarkshire, has donated Amazon Fire tablets to a charity supporting local residents who live in poverty and have become isolated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Carstairs Junction Welcome All Hub (CJWAH) is a charity run by volunteers in the nearby village of Carstairs Junction, where residents across the county can drop in and use donated resources such as food and clothing, as well as technology to stay connected with loved ones.
Funeral Director Joe Fletcher said: “Having technology and internet access is essential in the modern world, whether it’s to look for jobs, receive support or socialise, yet it’s something a large number of people can’t afford.
“We see first-hand the effects the pandemic has had on residents in Carstairs and other parts of South Lanarkshire, particularly on those who have lost loved ones. We therefore hope people can use these tablets to stay connected with friends and family no matter their circumstances.”
Ian Brown Funeral Directors has supported the CJWAH since its foundation in 2018. The organisation received charity status in March 2020 and now operates from a former community flat, which is generously rented out for £1 per year by South Lanarkshire Council.
After seeing the effects of the pandemic on Carstairs and its surrounding areas, Ian Brown Funeral Directors used its community fund to order two Amazon Fire tablets and help the CJWAH address poverty and isolation in Carstairs Junction and the rest of the county.
Joe said: “From people being furloughed to businesses closing, local communities have been hit hard by the pandemic, and the CJWAH’s work couldn’t be more important to help address it.”
Dot Watson, Community Development Coordinator at the CJWAH, said: “The donations made by Ian Brown Funeral Directors will be a significant boost to people looking for ways to reach their loved ones during this pandemic when they have little means of doing so on their own.
“It will also provide a way to seek employment and support as well as comfort, with these tablets coming with games for both parents and their children to enjoy.”
Donations can be made to the Carstairs Junction Welcome All Hub by contacting Dot Watson at carstairsjunctionwelcomeallhub@hotmail.com or 01555 668854.