SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris, recently visited a parents and toddlers’ group at the Roystonhill Community Centre. The visit followed the good news that St Roch's Childcare received £390,832 from the Big Lottery Fund to support its "Play at our Place" project for the next three years, which enables it to develop services to meet increased demand as well as expand into neighbouring communities including Germiston and Blackhill.
The project will offer vulnerable families, including parent and toddler groups, family workshops, one-to-one support, and a respite care service for parents and a crèche provision. Bob took time out to chat to staff and parents and was excited to hear how the range of child care facilities on offer benefits families across Royston and beyond.
Local SNP MSP, Bob Doris recently attended the SNP Conference in Aberdeen. He was joined by around 3,500 delegates from across Scotland as the Party fired the starting pistol for the race to the Scottish elections next May. Bob was joined by hundreds of delegates from across Glasgow, including many from local communities across the north of the city.
The Conference highlighted a number of commitments by the Scottish National Party, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP pledging 50,000 additional affordable homes and more flexible enhanced child care. Bob, who is the SNP candidate in the Maryhill and Springburn constituency in the upcoming Scottish elections, co-sponsored two successful resolutions - one on protecting public services and another on a fairer Scotland.
SNP remain committed to minimum pricing
As a major international alcohol policy conference gets underway in Scotland, the SNP government has received praise from its chair for showing “political courage” in pursuing minimum unit pricing for alcohol.
The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA) will hold its annual conference in Scotland over the next two days and its chair, Derek Rutherford, has praised the Scottish Government for seeking to implement minimum unit pricing for alcohol. Over 400 health researchers and campaigners from 50 countries will attend the conference.
SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris, has warmly welcomed the Council u- turn on axing free school buses following the announcement that school buses will now be re-instated.
The school bus axe has already impacted on the families of 1500 school pupils, with families from income deprived communities in the north of the city particularly hit hard. Bob has been campaigning against the proposed cuts since the summer and has met with parents and pupils across Glasgow who have been affected by the changes.
Following news that First Glasgow is to make several service alterations which will reduce bus provision in north Glasgow, SNP MSP, Bob Doris is to meet the bus company to make representations on behalf of a number of worried constituents.
The service reductions will see the M3 service from Milton to the city centre be reduced from a 30 minute service to an hourly one and the 10 will now no longer run through Sighthill on its way into town. Bob has also launched a community petition to give local residents the opportunity to show the strength of their feelings and to show how important they feel the services are.
Views of local residents ignored
SNP MSP Bob Doris has expressed his disapproval of last week’s decision by South Lanarkshire Council to give the green light to the £21m Cathkin Relief Road. Bob has in recent months and years been contacted by a large number of constituents who are strongly opposed to the scheme, and he has supported them in their opposition to the destruction of the green space on which the road will be built.
Bob Doris commented: "I have discussed the proposals with many local residents, and am clear that there is no public support for this unnecessary and environmentally destructive road. In financially challenging times there are any number of ways the £21m could be spent which would benefit the local economy and create much needed local jobs.
Scottish Government 'well on the way' to delivering on affordable homes commitment
The SNP has today welcomed new figures showing an increase in the number of new homes completed in Scotland, as the Scottish Government is on track to exceed its commitment to exceed its five-year target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by March 2016 – in stark contrast to the record of the last Labour administration in Scotland.
Ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on housing today, the SNP has highlighted new Scottish Government figures showing that 16,281 new homes were completed across the private and social sector in 2014/15 – an increase of nine per cent on the previous year.
Glasgow SNP Council Group have committed to re-introduce free school buses across Glasgow that have been axed by the ruling Labour administration. With the north of the city, and Maryhill and Springburn particularly affected, the announcement will be some rare good news for parents currently struggling to find safe walking routes to get their kids to school or to afford the cost of commercial bus travel.
Commenting on the announcement SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris said: “I am thrilled my SNP council colleagues, the official opposition to Labour run Glasgow City Council, have said a future SNP Council would reinstate the bus provision that has been axed by Labour. With kids now back at school following their summer holidays, the timing will be a boost for worried families.
SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris, recently met with staff and volunteers at Possilpark based food charity Fareshare to see first-hand the work they are doing to support community groups. Bob was joined on the visit by Margaret Ferrier MP and met Fareshare co-ordinator Scott Crawford along with a dedicated team of volunteers.
Fareshare receive surplus food from supermarkets such as Tesco and bakers such as Greggs and distribute it to local organisations. The food which would otherwise find its way into landfill, allows community groups to use the surplus food for good causes such as addressing growing food need and lowering catering costs allowing them to do more and for their own funds to go further.
Debt charity reports 75% increase in calls from people in Glasgow since 2012
Glasgow SNP MSP Bob Doris has urged constituents who may be struggling with debt to get advice as soon as possible:
Bob’s call comes as new figures from StepChange Debt Charity show a 75% increase in the number of calls for help from people with debt problems in the area between 2012 and 2014. The charity offers free debt advice to people across the UK and helped over 2,000 people in Glasgow in 2014 – up from 1,164 in 2012.
The SNP has today welcomed new findings from the 2014 Scottish Household Survey showing a record number of people rate their neighbourhood as a “fairly” or a “very good place to live”, and 86 per cent of people in Scotland are “fairly” or “very satisfied” with the quality of local health services.
The Scottish Household Survey also shows show 75% of people were satisfied with public transport in 2014 - an increase of four points from the previous year.
SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris, visited Macmillan’s isolation booth in Central Station recently. The booth presented limited vision of the outside world and whilst inside Bob heard of the experiences of two women facing cancer. Bob spoke to a number of volunteers about the impact that cancer has on the lives of those facing the illness as well as their family and friends.
Having already helped over 1,000 people in Glasgow, their volunteers provide an in depth knowledge about cancer and they provide support for patients and relatives alike.
office@bob-doris.scot 
Bob Doris MSP, Maryhill Burgh Halls, 24 Gairbraid Avenue, Maryhill, Glasgow, G20 8YE