PEOPLE in Bowling have been hailed for their efforts to support vulnerable elderly residents and keep spirits high in the area during the lockdown.

Community councillor and local pub owner Kirsten Savage called an emergency meeting to devise an action plan for the 450 residents in the village.

More than 20 attended and a WhatsApp group was created, while a leafleting initiative helped identify people who would benefit from support.

Since then, a string of volunteers has stepped up to collect shopping and prescriptions for the elderly and disabled, while conversations in the WhatsApp group have come up with several ways to keep the village busy while the country is in lockdown.

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DJ and Bowling resident Steven Pearson took part in a Facebook Live music fundraiser for Dumbarton based food bank, Food for Thought, on April 11.

The residents of the village all donated, and Kirsten, owner of the Bay Inn, then decided to start a weekly collection, which will now see donations left in a new food bin in the unused beer garden of the pub.

Residents have already donated and filled the bin, and a community council member donated the collection to the Dumbarton food bank on Thursday.

As local food banks have been inundated with requests and people require seven days of food supplies, Bowling and Old Kilpatrick Community Council gave £300 to each village for emergency food.

In addition, the Scott Avenue Gardening Project provided £100, the Bowling Hall Committee gave £50 and Bowling Gala Committee donated £50 to support vulnerable people in the village.

Local resident Noreen Shields said: “We are a close knit community. There is less than 500 of us so we have always looked out for one another.

“Anne and Leanne from the village organised a no contact Easter quiz and egg hunt and I organised eggs for older people self isolating.

“There have also been two funerals during lockdown - Robbie Mackenzie played the bagpipes outside The Bay Inn and about 15 of us clapped in the street as the cortege passed through.”

Robbie, 18, had originally been playing his bagpipes during the Clap for Carers hour on Thursdays.

Twelve year old Heather Flemming has been baking cakes to deliver to residents and accompanies each cake with a flyer which asks them to get in touch if they need any support, as well as any activities they would like to see in the community hall after lockdown.

So far, she has delivered cakes to half the community, and plans to let the community council know what replies she receives.