Meet Ross-shire's newest councillor: 'It’s not what the world holds for you, it’s what you bring to it'

THE power of people to make the communities where they live and work better should never be underestimated.

So says Ross-shire's newest councillor who plans bringing a healthy dose of common sense to the doutbless challenging role.

Maureen Ross swept to victory in last week's Tain and Easter Ross by-election with a simple promise to "do my best" and pay heed to doorstep issues ranging from potholes, housing provision and community transport – "or lack of".

Ross, known for community activism and her work with the Seaboard Centre in Balintore, joins fellow independent Alasdair Rhind and Derek Louden (SNP) representing the ward.

She believes councils, Holyrood and Westminster need to come together "and put their hands in their pockets" to solve some of the issues and that rural areas deserve a fair crack of the whip for pothole funding when it comes to plugging well-aired shortfalls.

She said: "I am a ‘people person’ and I really do believe that people can make a huge difference in their communities.

"Over the past 30 years working with community groups and public agencies on many projects has taught me a lot about getting over a finishing line and improving the area.
"I would like to do more of that working with community groups as I recognise that finance is tight within Highland Council but good projects within the communities may be assisted with even a small grant from the likes of the discretionary funding, which then means that match funding from other funding sources is made easier to access.

"I hope to open-handedly share that knowledge and expertise with groups within the ward. There are funders out there who are willing to fund worthy projects and there are many groups who just need that little bit of help and encouragement to go for it.

"We should all be doing our bit within our community to make it a better place to live and work, a place where we want to stay and bring up our children, watch our grandchildren grow up and be mindful of our elderly, this takes effort.

"Perhaps I am the ‘Anne of Green Gables’ within Highland Council – well if I am then no shame. One of her sayings was “It’s not what the world holds for you, it’s what you bring to it”. I never promised anything on the doorsteps other than that I would do my best.

"Common sense these days in politics seems to be in short supply and I am totally aware that I am going to be up against things both from within the council and outwith."

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