Salmond opens Maud social care centres

Two major social care developments at an Aberdeenshire village were officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday.

Mr Salmond visited the Berrybank home for disabled adults in Maud yesterday to announce that Cornerstone, the charity which runs the scheme, has been awarded £1million from the Scottish Investment Fund.

He also unveiled a plaque to commemorate the rebirth of the village’s Old Mart as a ground-breaking health and community centre.

The Berrybank home, on Deer Road, is home to six adults with various disabilities, each with their own flat with lounge, kitchen and en-suite bathroom.

Mr Salmond described the accommodation as “beautiful” and said the new funding would help Cornerstone create further services in the north-east and across Scotland.

Alastair Davis, of Social Investment Scotland, said: “Cornerstone has a proven track record of delivering innovative services to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities and we’re confident that this investment will increase both their capability and capacity to reach many more.”

The Old Mart Community Resource Centre, across from the Berrybank development, was declared “well and truly open” by Mr Salmond.

The centre will provide a range of services, including health visitors, community nurses, mental health teams, occupational therapy and home-care support.

It is run by the Maud Village Trust, a charity set up in 2002 to develop the site on behalf of the community, and funded through a £1.6million award from the Scottish Government and a £500,000 grant from NHS Grampian.

Mr Salmond said: “It is great to see this facility being officially opened. It provides a variety of great services for the people of Maud and Aberdeenshire.”

Dr David Cameron, chairman of NHS Grampian, said: “This centre is unique in the way it integrates health, social work, and home care services and provides facilities for multiple use by all professions, local community groups and charities.”