Parking attendants, swimming teachers and golf workers have been moved to the front line to help tackle coronavirus in Dundee.
Dozens of employees from Dundee City Council and other public sector organisations have been redeployed to deliver essential services, with more set to follow in the coming weeks.
The staff have been delivering food and working in child and social care.
Among them are Katie Bruce, who put herself forward to be redeployed from her job as a parking attendant, to deliver prescriptions.
She said: “I put myself forward because I’m fit and healthy and able to help.
“I feel sorry for those who don’t have family or friends around to help. We are all working to help the community, right now we are out there helping those who really need us.
“It’s fantastic, lots of people keep telling me ‘you don’t understand how much you’re helping me’.”
Anna Turfus usually works as a swimming teacher, but is now delivering shopping and meals to those in need across Dundee.
“It has been great working with a totally different age group within the community which I would never have experienced if I hadn’t volunteered to be deployed,” she said.
“It was hard at first, going into a totally different working environment but knowing how valued my help within the community is during these unprecedented times is what has kept me going.”
The deployments have meant matching people with roles based on skills and qualifications and staff are being offered any training required.
No stranger to youngsters in his role as Active Schools coordinator, Gareth Dailly is now helping look after children of key workers.
He said: “I wanted to give back to the front line workers and let them get on with their jobs knowing that their children are happy, fit and active.
“The transition has been quite easy as I am used to working with children and delivering sports and games in a school setting.
“I find it really rewarding work as I know the front line workers are able to continue to do their crucial jobs and I am also helping to support children from vulnerable families.”
Council leader John Alexander thanked the staff, saying: “The flexibility shown by the workforce and their trades unions to support vulnerable people in these difficult times has been tremendous.
“The deployment of people into lifeline roles has been essential to our response to what is an unprecedented situation.”
