A north-east man is giving back to his community by rallying locals to help grit streets.
David Cowie set up Westhill Winter Resilience after he noticed people complaining about icy pavements in the town.
And the group, which was set up on Tuesday, now has more than 500 members.
It encourages kind-hearted residents young and old to chip in and help to make the community a safer place for its elderly and vulnerable residents.
Using equipment such as wheelbarrows, sledges and spades, members of the group respond to requests for help by gritting pavements and posting pictures of their efforts on the Facebook page. They also help to fill up grit bins for others in the area.
David, 46, of Westhill, said: “I’ve been off on holiday for the past couple of weeks and I’ve just been bored at home.
“I was scrolling through Facebook and I noticed a lot of people in the town hadn’t had their streets gritted.
“I realised I had a choice, I could either sit on my backside and do nothing or take some action.
“It’s always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something to give back to the town and say thanks for the support people have given to me and my family in the past.
“So on Tuesday, I started a Facebook page called Westhill Winter Resilience thinking I would maybe get 20 or 30 people to join in.
“Within 24 hours it had gained more than 500 members, which is brilliant.
“At this time of year, a lot of people slip and hurt themselves then end up in the hospital.
“It takes up NHS resources which we’re trying to prevent.
“Many people will also have elderly neighbours who aren’t as mobile and aren’t able to grit their paths.”
© Darrell Benns / DCT MEDIA
David said the community reaction so far has been positive.
He added: “People have been really positive about the whole initiative and the feedback has been good.
“It’s a nice feeling when you do something positive for the community, and it leads to someone else doing something similar.
“We’re a community which will get out and do what needs to be done which is really nice.
“Westhill is a great place to live and there is a really good sense of community spirit here.
“On my street, two men were gritting both sides of the road the other day and they gave me a thumbs up which was nice.”
To find out more about the Westhill Winter Resilience group, or to get involved, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/112485474003932
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