by Lucy Ashton
It is one thing having your grant slashed in half by £25,000, but quite another when your calls for help are ignored and then the roof falls in.
That’s what happened to the Food for Thought foodbank located in Dumbarton’s “new” town centre.
West Dunbartonshire Council knew there were problems in the town centre. They had received complaints about leaking roofs and other defects in the properties still operating there.
But as is typical with all or most of the public services in this area, their response time to Food for Thought was pathetic, and the charity has accused the council of not acting quickly enough to fix their roof.
They were dismayed when the roof fell in literally after a storm brought a deluge of heavy rain to Dumbarton a week past on Friday.
Former journalist and now auxiliary minister with the Church of Scotland, Tina Kemp, who is a board member for Food for Thought, said: “It was obviously just something that was waiting to happen. It is frustrating, and it’s disappointing.”
It is understood that the building’s roof issues were reported to the Council weeks ago, but Tina claims that little was done to resolve things.
She said that the gutters were blocked, and seagulls have a nest there which is causing problems.
Tina said the council visited the shop after the initial roof complaint was lodged, but they struggled to find where the problem was coming from.
And they failed to return until after the storm.
She has been quoted as saying: “The root cause of the problem needs to be fixed or else it’s just going to continue.
“It’s the upheaval it’s caused; all we’re trying to do is our best to help some of the most vulnerable people. It’s the start of the school holidays so people will be really needing the (foodbank) service. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, to be honest.”
“People are still coming to the door as they aren’t aware of what has happened and maybe do not have access to a phone.”
The damage has also put a strain on their shop inside the building, which has had to close due to its proximity to the caved-in ceiling tiles.
She said: “It doesn’t make a massive amount of money, but it makes enough to get by, so not having that is an issue.”
The foodbank suffered a blow to its funding this month, which was cut in half by the council.
This means Food for Thought now has to turn away anyone who is not a pensioner or part of a family.
Tina says the Council has made available dehumidifiers, which are helping to dry the shop out.
“This was the last thing we needed, but the main thing is that people are still getting their parcels, so if we can do that, that’s why we’re here.”
A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council, which has banned The Democrat from speaking to them, said: “Council officers and a specialist roofing contractor attended Food for Thought earlier in the month following reports of a leak; however, no active source of water ingress could be identified due to the dry weather conditions.
“Following a report of flooding during exceptional rainfall on Friday afternoon, officers attended and identified remedial works which were actioned immediately, including clearing of gutters, and dehumidifiers were provided to help manage the effects of the flooding.
“We are continuing to support Food for Thought to ensure any remedial issues are addressed as quickly as possible.”