It has been a busy week back in Scottish Parliament following the summer recess. Here is what I got up to:

I began the week with a visit from Changing Faces. 

They are group of caring campaigners -; caring and empowering in supportive, friendly, positive and inspiring ways, and campaigning in their education and advocacy work by being forthright, informed, counter-cultural and determined.

They are here to help people conquer fears, take the first steps and ultimately take control, by being on a client’s side and by their side as they define their own sense of identity, their purpose and realise their dreams. They help build people’s confidence to live their life on their terms. And they challenge prejudice, respect differences and speak to a world that needs to change.

You can find out more about their work here.

I was managed to get along to to visit Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) to hear some of the work they are doing to raise awareness of the illness.

You can read about their work and about how to prevent the illness here.

I also popped along to see McMillan Cancer Support to see their promotional work for their big coffee morning. You can find out where your nearest coffee morning is by putting your postcode in here.

I also got the chance this week to visit the amazing STUC award winners. The group were up in Parliament to discuss some of the great achievement the award winners have done within their work places and unions. Some of the stories were inspiring and it was great to see so many other MSP go along and celebrate trade unions and their reps.

If you would like to find out more about STUC please see here.

At the end of the week I was interviewed from ITV Borders discussing the Scottish Leadership election and the Government’s new ‘Programme for Government’.

I finished up the week by heading back to Dumfries to hold a local surgery for residents. You can see all the local surgeries I hold here. 

As ever if there is anything I can do to help anyone across the South of Scotland do get in to