As the local MSP, one of the best parts of my job is shining a light on the fantastic things happening across our communities.
I often do that by lodging parliamentary motions, and last week I was delighted to highlight two brilliant local achievements.
The first recognised the Wimpy Park Community Group in Alloa, which has just been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2025 — the highest honour a volunteer group can receive in the UK.
Over the last eight years, volunteers have transformed the old walled garden into a vibrant community space, complete with a play park, garden, and football area.
They also run much-loved events throughout the year, from the Easter Egg Hunt and Summer Fete to the Zombie Walk and festive celebrations for children and older residents.
Their work has even drawn national attention, including a BBC Beechgrove makeover and a visit from MSPs and the Presiding Officer earlier this year.
It was a pleasure to recognise their remarkable contribution in Parliament.
The second motion celebrated Clackmannanshire Council’s success in winning the COSLA President’s Award for its innovative Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP).
This award recognises the council’s commitment to tackling child poverty by working directly with families, communities, and the third sector rather than relying on a traditional top-down model.
The FWP is a whole-system approach that continues to grow as partnerships strengthen, and it’s excellent to see national recognition for work making a real, measurable difference here in Clackmannanshire.
These achievements also remind me how powerful targeted, community-focused action can be — and how much more progress we could make if the UK Government finally delivered on the promises it made at the election.
Time and again, I’ve urged UK ministers to scrap the two-child limit and the benefit cap.
These policies belong in the darkest days of austerity and should have no place in a modern social security system.
In a country as wealthy as ours, no child should grow up in poverty.
Social security should provide stability, reduce inequality, and help families through their toughest moments.
Scotland is already showing what’s possible when governments choose to invest in people.
Policies like the Scottish Child Payment and our redesigned social security system are delivering real results: child poverty is lower in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, and relative child poverty is at its lowest in nearly a decade.
That is why I’m calling on the Chancellor to follow Scotland’s lead — scrap the caps, match the Scottish Child Payment, and introduce an Essentials Guarantee so Universal Credit actually covers life’s basic costs.
The same urgency applies to energy bills.
New Scottish Government modelling shows that a targeted Social Tariff — developed with energy suppliers, consumer groups, and fuel poverty organisations — could cut bills for around 660,000 Scottish households by an average of £700, lifting more than 135,000 households out of fuel poverty.
Yet while the UK Government promised to cut bills by £300, they have instead risen by almost £200.
Without meaningful investment, fuel poverty will only deepen — and the NHS will pay the price.
As we look ahead, I’m constantly inspired by what our communities achieve with the right support.
Whether it’s volunteers transforming local spaces or public bodies redesigning services with families at the centre, the talent and determination in Clackmannanshire are clear.
My commitment is to keep championing that work — and keep pressing the UK Government to match Scotland’s ambition and deliver the fairer, more compassionate society people here deserve.
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