Letters / The real essence of Shetland
I am completely astounded and bamboozled by a comment made in the council chamber last week. Councillor Vaila Wishart was reported to have said “Centralisation is happening everywhere, people can’t be chained to their area.”
What is she saying; that a process of centralisation is inevitable? For the future of Shetland I hope not.
I live in a remote, rural part of Shetland and I do not in any way feel chained to where I live. I live here not because of what it lacks, but because of what it has to offer. I live here because I want to, I choose to. Living on a small island in the North Sea is not without its challenges, but I think this is what makes us Shetlanders. I see strength in this community. We strive to keep our community alive, often thwarted by our own council who appear to be trying to force us all to leave.
As a parent I want to bring up my bairns to believe they can be anything, go anywhere, but to still have roots in their community too. A sense of belonging is vital as it is about being connected and accepted within your family and community. It’s important in healthy human development and improves physical and mental health.
The council needs to take a look at its own website www.shetland.org where it brags about all that Shetland has to offer. The rich, cultural heritage, the excellent schools, the strong communities. Where exactly are these things to be found? Lerwick? Maybe so, but to many the real essence of Shetland is found right across our isles, in the more remote areas. But for how much longer?
We know centralisation is already happening, we see it all the time. But that doesn’t mean it’s right and that we shouldn’t try to stop it. The council’s own corporate policy 2010/12 is meant to promote decentralisation for council services. Not that we’ve seen much evidence of that!
Cheryl Jamieson
Hoversta
Uyeasound
Unst
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