SCOTLAND’S First Minister Humza Yousaf was in Dumfries on Monday afternoon to meet the community and business owners.
He was welcomed to Summerhill Community Centre by South Scotland MSP Emma Harper and residents.
They showed him the work which is being undertaken by the team at the centre, led by Annemarie Coulter MBE.
Mr Yousaf met with members of the Young At Heart Club, visited the Community Pantry, spoke with young people using the outdoor gym and heard about the work with families affected by imprisonment.
Afterwards Ms Harper said: “It was fantastic to have Scotland’s First Minister visit Summerhill Community Centre to see all that the fantastic team are doing.
“The First Minister took the time to meet with people involved with each of the projects, and spent time with the members of the Young At Heart Club – he even had a dance with Rose, aged 92.
“I want to thank everyone at Summerhill for their warm welcome but importantly for their continued service to both the community and to the town of Dumfries as a whole.”
Also on the agenda for the First Minister was a meeting with Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce members to discuss key economic initiatives in the region.
Topics included road improvements, town centre developments and business rates, as well as the A75/A77 road campaign which the Chamber are involved with.
Mr Yousaf said: “This is an exciting time for the South of Scotland and I am delighted to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s pledge to invest £85 million in the region over the next ten years through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
“Growth Deals are a core part of our work to grow regional economies and enable us to align our collective resources behind shared strategic ambitions and to see that all projects are designed and will be delivered by local partners is something I welcome.”
He added: “I appreciate reliable and safe road networks are important if we want this region to flourish and that’s why I am committed to engaging with interested parties on strategic transport matters and in supporting the users of the A75 and the A77.”
Thanking him for attending, Chamber of Commerce president Kenny Bowie said: “We appreciate the government’s commitment to involving local businesses in decision-making processes.
“This meeting will hopefully mark a significant step towards collaborative efforts for the betterment of our region.”
