Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has spent some time volunteering at the local Alzheimer Scotland shop, in Renfrew.

Volunteer Week Alz Scot 03-06-16-1489 (002)

Mr Newlands spent Friday morning helping in the shop as part of ‘Volunteers’ Scotland Week’. He met some of the local volunteers who help out at the shop, and thanked them for the valuable work that they do.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual event which takes place at the start of June. It celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK.

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:

”I would like to thank Liz and her team at the local Alzheimer’s Scotland shop for having me along and allowing me to help out in the shop for a few hours.

“It was a great experience to find out more about the work that Alzheimer’s Scotland do, particularly due to the fact that my volunteering shift took place during ‘Dementia Awareness Week’.

“Volunteers’ Scotland Week serves as fantastic opportunity to remember how important volunteers are to our local communities.  They commit so much of their time helping others, and for that we should be eternally grateful for the work that they do.”

A spokesperson from Alzheimer Scotland, said:

“We were delighted to be joined by Gavin as a volunteer during Scotland’s Dementia Awareness Week. As well as helping with the day-to-day running of the shop, Gavin was a great addition to the team for the day undertaking a variety of tasks and welcoming our customers.

“With over 90,000 people in Scotland living with dementia and the number set to double in a generation, dementia is one of Scotland’s most pressing public health and social care issues. Our goal is to make sure that nobody faces dementia alone. For more information about Alzheimer Scotland and of the services available across Scotland visit www.alzscot.org.”

George Thomson, Chief Executive of Volunteer Scotland said:

“Volunteers’ Week Scotland is a chance to personally thank volunteers for their contribution to our lives, and to celebrate the community building they bring about in many different kinds of activities . It’s an opportunity to look around us and see the wide variety of volunteering that people do every day in our communities, and also to think about what we might do ourselves to help. We want to encourage more people, from more diverse backgrounds, to volunteer more regularly in ways that’s friendly, uplifting and rewarding.”