Buchan retires, sixteen days of action against gender-based violence, national ambulance award

FORMER chief executive of Shetland Islands Council (SIC) Alistair Buchan has retired for health reasons.

The long serving chief executive of Orkney islands Council was seconded to the post in Shetland in summer of 2010 following a damning report from Audit Scotland into the running of the local authority here.

Two years later, in September 2012, Buchan returned to his post in Orkney after implementing an ambitious improvement plan that helped the SIC tackle its ever increasing budget deficit, saving the council tens of million of pounds and the community from suffering painful cuts in services.

Buchan was Scotland’s youngest council chief executive when appointed to the OIC post in 1997, and he was the longest serving of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

THE SHETLAND Domestic Abuse Partnership is hosting a series of event and exhibitions between Monday (25 November – International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women) and 10 December (International Human Rights Day) as part of a global campaign aimed at highlighting the link between gender based violence and human rights.

The partnership’s chair Dr Susan Laidlaw said: “Domestic abuse, sexual violence and all other forms of gender based violence can affect anyone of any gender: it is always completely unacceptable and needs to be stopped.”

Shetland Islands Council chief executive Maggie Sandison added: “As one of the isles’ biggest employers, the council is committed to gender equality, and to a workplace culture which prevents violence against women.

“The council is committed to creating a supportive environment for victim-survivors of violence against women, as well as a culture of zero-tolerance towards perpetrators of violence against women.”

More information on the events can be found here.

For further reading see Shetland News’ recent coverage of the work of Rape Crisis Shetland.

A STUDENT paramedic from Scalloway has been named mentor of the year at the 2019 Scottish Ambulance Service awards.

Kaylee Garrick picked up the prize at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Thursday night (21 November).

The Scottish Ambulance Service praised her for raising awareness of CPR alongside her well-known dogs.

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