Also in the news / Bank closed, Sands stamps collection and more…
A sign on the building said “this is to protect both customers and staff”.
It added that services are available at the Post Office, online or by calling 0345 7242424.
Another sign on the bank’s window said the cash machine there is out of action after being damaged by water ingress.
It said the damage has been so severe that a replacement ATM is required.
PEOPLE are being encouraged to donate used stamps at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick to raise funds for a stillbirth and neonatal death charity.
A donations box for used stamps is placed at the reception area of the hospital.
People just need to trim off excess paper leaving a border of around 1cm. Without a clear border they cannot be used.
Charities often seek out old stamps which can be recycled, raising funds in the process.
Hospital worker Nadine Wilson is behind the Sands collection, and she said folk can give her stamps in person too.
The donations box said 1kg of stamps can raise up to £20.
NORTHERN Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has called for the defence secretary to meet with energy companies and other departments to prevent the Northern Isles becoming a “soft target” to Russian escalation of activity in the North Sea.
Speaking in parliament this afternoon during a government statement on the activities of Russian spy vessel Yantar, Carmichael noted the past concerns raised by the Nikolay Chiker moving near key infrastructure in the waters around Shetland in spring 2023.
The MP noted that the risk to island communities was “particularly acute” should undersea infrastructure be damaged or sabotaged.
Responding for the government, defence secretary John Healey said: “He is certainly right; this is not the first instance, and indeed the total loss of digital connection that Shetland in his constituency suffered in 2022 demonstrated most vividly both the daily life dependence on this infrastructure, and how vulnerable this can be to damage or sabotage.
“I give the Rt Hon Gentleman the assurance he is seeking.
“In the consideration and implementation of the strategic defence review that is exactly the sort of challenge that we will be meeting.”
HIGHLANDS and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess has hailed news that school meal debt held by families in Shetland totalling around £16,000 has been written off thanks to work by her party.
School meal debt worth £2,877,287.97 has been cancelled by 29 councils across Scotland.
The debt write-off was paid for through a national fund secured by the Scottish Greens this time last year, during their period in government.
Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said: “I have heard first hand from local teachers who dreaded the thought of having to chase their pupils for debt, and from parents who felt the stress of falling into debt.
“It’s obvious that children cannot learn effectively if they are hungry or stressed and embarrassed by their family finances.
“That’s why I worked during the Greens’ time in government to wipe this debt out. Behind today’s news there are struggling families across Shetland who have been given a bit of much needed financial relief.”
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