When his taxi service came to a grinding halt during the first lockdown following the Covid-19 outbreak, John Forsyth from Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway could quite easily have sat down and put his feet up.
Instead he did what few others would have done by demonstrating a rather unique community spirit and commitment to help others.
For John – a special constable based at Stranraer police station – decided to spend his unexpected time off work by helping out his cop chums.
Now he has now clocked up a remarkable 1000 hours of volunteer work since the beginning of April last year – earning plaudits from his police bosses and colleagues.
John has provided invaluable support in his volunteer role including working night shifts and weekends to keep the local community safe and well.
Praising his outstanding dedication, Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, has acknowledged John’s commitment and dedication in a motion tabled at Holyrood.
The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “John is a shining example to us all through his incredible determination to help his local community.
“It is only at times like now that you begin to realise just what an outstanding contribution he has made in his desire to help others.
“This pandemic has thrown up a number of unsung heroes and John is certainly one of them. We owe him and all the other special constables a huge debt of gratitude for the help they are providing in keeping us all safe.”
Community Inspector Stewart McColm praised John and all the other special constables working in Dumfries and Galloway.
He said: “We are very grateful to John, and all our other special constables, for what they contribute to policing local communities within the region.
“Community spirit, togetherness and a willingness to put yourself out there and help others, is always important but even more so in the current pandemic.
“That’s where volunteers like John can really come into their own. John will be the first to say how much he enjoys being a special constable and all the skills and experience he has gained from all the hard work he has put in.”
The inspector continued: “He has been a valuable part of our team at Stranraer for a long time now, but his efforts since the first lockdown, in particular, has been outstanding.”
