That the Parliament pays tribute to the remarkable careers of David and Margaret Rendall with the Scottish Ambulance Service, having served the Sanday community in Orkney for 30 years; notes that David and Margaret retired at the end of March 2025, having taken on the provision of ambulance services in Sanday in 1995; understands that previously, the local school bus had been used for the service, until newly-introduced regulations prevented this from happening, at which point a local nurse asked David and Margaret if they would take over as driver and assistant respectively; further understands that the resources available to David and Margaret in the early years were limited and resulted in the purchase of a second-hand minibus, which was fitted with a pre-Second World War canvas stretcher, and the donation of their own blankets and pillows; recognises that David and Margaret have transported patients to safety in all manner of challenging conditions over their many years of service, and have been responsible for over 600 ambulance journeys in this time; understands that Margaret has acted on an entirely voluntary basis, while David was paid a small sum for each journey, with both being on permanent standby over the years to respond in times of need; notes that in addition to their lifesaving efforts as ambulance service providers, David has also served as Sanday’s registrar, undertaker and local NFU insurance agent, whilst Margaret was chairwoman of the community council for nine years; believes that this represents truly outstanding dedication to the Sanday community; thanks David and Margaret for their years of selfless commitment to their local community, and wishes them all the best in their thoroughly well-earned retirement.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Stephanie Callaghan, Foysol Choudhury, Tim Eagle (Registered interest)
, Annabelle Ewing, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Dr Sandesh Gulhane (Registered interest)
, Bill Kidd, Fulton MacGregor, Stuart McMillan, Audrey Nicoll, Douglas Ross, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Tess White