The SNP candidate in the Highland Council by election for East Sutherland and Edderton has called for greater financial support for two community care hubs she says provide essential services for some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.

Rebecca Machin has urged decision makers to ensure what she described as “equitable and adequate” funding for the Brora Village Hub and The Bradbury Centre in Bonar Bridge.

The two facilities provide day care and support services for people living with complex health needs, including dementia, while also offering respite and assistance to families and carers.

Mrs Machin, a retired headteacher who lives in Edderton, said the centres play a vital role in helping people maintain their independence and remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

She described both organisations as preventative services that help reduce pressure on hospitals and residential care facilities by supporting people within their local communities.

According to Mrs Machin, the Brora Village Hub serves communities including Brora, Golspie and Helmsdale, while The Bradbury Centre supports people living in Bonar Bridge, Edderton, Dornoch and Embo.

She argued that the services offered by the centres go far beyond social activities, helping people access medical appointments, medication support, meals, companionship and a safe environment.

“These are not frills and added value extras, these are essential community services.

“And it is not just the moral and ethical imperative to keep them open.

“It makes economic sense too.

“These wonderful hubs also provide great value for money.

“Their services not only provide things that build and maintain resilience and independence, but, by doing so, they prevent the need for far more expensive care.”

Drawing on personal experience, Mrs Machin spoke about the role The Bradbury Centre played while her family cared for her mother in law following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

“Our wonderful local GP suggested the Bradbury Centre.

“From then on, we knew there would be a cheery smile, a friendly face and a place of safety.

“It might seem from the outside like it is only a few hours a week: I can only tell you truthfully that, until you have experienced it, regaining those few hours and being able to rely on and trust that someone as vulnerable as my mother in law was by that stage, was a freedom like purest mountain air.”

Mrs Machin said the challenges faced by families caring for relatives with dementia are often underestimated and warned that removing community support services could result in greater demands on the wider healthcare system.

She pointed to statistics suggesting that one in three people will develop dementia during their lifetime and argued that services supporting older people will become increasingly important in the years ahead.

“These two hubs are the lifeline which keeps our fragile rural communities on the tracks, keeps families together and are vital if we are to remain the caring communities we would all like to live in.

“So, let’s fund them properly.

“There is a moral imperative.

“There is a financial saving to the wider healthcare eco system which demands it.

“The hubs are not asking for the world, they are merely asking for equitable and adequate treatment.

“They are just asking for enough.”