by Councillor Marie McNair

The Beast from the East certainly did not dampen the Bankie spirit and it was great to see that community spirit is very much alive and well in our areas.

People rallied together to help each other out, by clearing paths, digging out cars and running errands for their neighbours who were unable to get about due to the snow.

As the chairwoman of the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership I would like to personally thank all the health and social care staff-our snow heroes who went above and beyond the call of duty by getting to work in some of the most extreme weather conditions that I have ever seen.

Their commitment to serve our most vulnerable was amazing, with some walking great distances, they are completely dedicated to their profession.

I saw true partnership working, with families offering to look after their loved ones to enable us to prioritise our care to get to those in greatest need.

We also need to thank our roads teams who worked hand in hand with our emergency services clearing roads to enable them to reach those who needed to get to hospital.

I plan to visit each service area with Beth Culshaw, our chief officer, to pass on our own thanks and appreciation.

The Health and Social Care Partnership is due to set its budget on May 2. It is always a difficult exercise because of the financial pressures we face coupled with our real desire to do the very best for our constituents.

At the council budget setting last month I voted to reverse the proposed cut of £1.56 million to the HSCP budget. This was a welcomed boost to the budget but further savings are still required to allow us to balance our budget.

On March 7 the partnership launched a four-week consultation on the savings options, and I would urge you all to participate in the consultation by giving your views and suggestions on these options.

Over the next few weeks I will continue to work with officers and others to prioritise our services to those in greatest need and get the maximum for every penny we have.

If anyone requires further information on this matter I would be happy to meet with any group or individual to answer any questions that you may have.