Susan Lochrie

Inverclyde’s Care at Home service has improved after a 2022 review identified low pay and outdated job descriptions as major causes of staff turnover. The Health and Social Care Partnership upgraded roles, introduced fast-track recruitment and increased pay, including an immediate four per cent rise in 2023. Annual departures fell from 156 in 2022/23 to 69 in 2025/26, while recruitment, workforce stability and hospital discharges improved. The service received a grade 5, or very good, rating from the Care Inspectorate in January 2026, and the findings were submitted to the Scottish Government.

Ferguson Marine has launched a voluntary redundancy programme that could remove up to 70 jobs as the shipyard completes its existing order book and awaits due diligence on four vessels the Scottish Government intends to award directly. Chief executive Graeme Thomson says the measure is needed to manage a temporary workload gap and protect the yard’s long-term viability, while confirming that the MV Glen Rosa remains on schedule for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour called the cuts a betrayal and blamed the failure to secure a reliable pipeline of work. The Scottish Government described the restructuring as necessary to modernize the yard and maintain a viable future for commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde.

Belville Community Garden in Greenock held a successful summer fete that raised funds for the project and offered families activities including crafts, games, baking, bug hunting and face painting. The garden’s gardening and bike repair teams showcased their work, while volunteers restored the site after a recent vandal attack. Operating for more than a decade, the garden also provides gardening clubs, bike repairs, Soup and Blether sessions, volunteering opportunities and a space for residents to grow plants and learn about nature.

Active Schools Inverclyde held netball camps during the summer holidays to encourage young people to try one of Inverclyde’s fastest-growing sports. The sessions coincided with netball’s inclusion in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and focused on confidence, teamwork, skills development and match play. Organizers said the camps were busy and hoped the Games would build on the sport’s already strong participation in local schools and clubs.

Children across Inverclyde took part in free summer sports camps organised by Active Schools Inverclyde to build a legacy from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Funded by £165,000 from the Scottish Government, the programme offered activities including water sports, netball, BMX biking, ice skating and multisport sessions. Organisers reported strong demand, with around 40 children attending one camp at All Saints Primary in Greenock, while the programme also gave young coaches seasonal work and helped pupils moving to secondary school meet future classmates.

Port Glasgow New Parish Church’s annual family fun day attracted hundreds of people and featured stalls, games, activities, a unicorn pony and three chickens. The event raised £1,850 for church funds, which will support repairs or mission outreach. Organizer Pamela MacDonald said it was the biggest of the four events she has organized, and the church thanked its volunteers and supporters.

Residents on Aberfoyle Road in Greenock say grass outside their homes has not been cut since a contractor change, despite collectively paying Cloch Housing about £1,000 annually for fortnightly landscaping. The area was reportedly omitted from the contractor’s map. Residents James McFadden, Graeme Campbell and David Campbell want the mapping error corrected, while Cloch Housing says it is contacting them and working to address their concerns.

Port Glasgow twins Ben and Abbie Arkless, both aged 12, won £50 by finding the Scoop character in a Greenock Telegraph edition. The twins regularly compete to spot Scoop first and plan to spend their winnings on personal items, including a new PlayStation game for Ben. Their mother, Kathleen Bell, said the family was delighted and described playing Scoop as a family tradition.

Waterfront Cinema in Greenock is marking its 30th anniversary after surviving competition from multiplexes, the COVID-19 pandemic and the decline of traditional film projection. Owner David Shaw and general manager John Cunningham say audiences are returning for major releases including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Toy Story 5 and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The independent cinema also supports the local economy and community through autism-friendly, sensory-friendly and over-60s screenings. It plans to revive popular films from 1996 and hopes to help bring back the Inverclyde Film Festival.

Greenock tenant Craig McDonald says thousands of wasps have invaded his top-floor flat through gaps in the ceiling, repeatedly stinging him, his two dogs and his cat. He has abandoned his bedroom and sometimes the property, and accuses Oak Tree Housing Association of failing to eliminate the nest despite pest-control efforts. Oak Tree says it is handling the case directly and working to resolve it, but declined to comment further because it concerns an individual tenant.

Greenock Town Hall will host a range of comedy, music and tribute performances this autumn as Inverclyde Leisure’s Showcase events programme builds on approximately 50 shows held over three years. The line-up includes Mark Cox, Karen Dunbar, Simple Minded – Deacon Blues, The Specials Ltd, an Oasis versus The Stone Roses tribute show and the Nashville Country Experience. Singer-songwriter James Grant will perform at the Gamble Halls in Gourock. Operations manager Jim Lyon said the programme aims to offer varied acts while attracting more visitors to local venues, which are also made available to theatre companies including Kayos and Prominence.

Tributes have been paid to Kevin Keegan, who died aged 75 after battling stage-four cancer. The former Liverpool and Newcastle star lived at Inverkip Marina in the early 2000s and formed warm ties with the local community. Kevin Blamire recalls Keegan’s generosity and humility, particularly at a 2013 charity evening where he joined rugby star Doddie Weir to raise thousands of pounds for Ardgowan Hospice. Keegan is also remembered for his achievements with Liverpool, Hamburg, England and Newcastle United, as well as his enduring family and community connections.