THIS week has been the conclusion of the budget process both nationally in the Scottish Parliament and locally in Glasgow.

It’s a strange time to be setting financial priorities for our city – we are still in the midst of crisis, desperate to get beyond it, and trying to plan for recovery when it’s still not yet possible to see the full extent of the enormous damage that has been wrought by the pandemic.

Sometimes the needs of our communities feel overwhelming – the lack of access to food, the uncertainty about work for so many people, rent and bills going up and up – and all alongside disconnection from support networks, loneliness, and mental health issues worsening.

The exhaustion and burnout for parents, carers and frontline professionals will have a huge long term impact, and for disabled people and BME communities the pandemic has supercharged existing inequalities.

There is a long process of rebuilding ahead – so we need to work carefully, and build in some support for the things we don’t know we need yet.

That’s why in Glasgow, Greens have put aside

£2 million for a Green Recovery Pot to meet emerging needs of our citizens as the Covid context changes.

That money could be used for things like financial inclusion support in nurseries, or work for sustainable access to good food for all of our communities.

It might be for maximising uptake of the new free school meals that all Scottish primary kids will be entitled to after this incredible milestone was won by Green MSPs through the national budget.

Locally, we also put money aside for a child poverty project working specifically with one parent families, for school and community food growing projects, for a school bike library project, a back courts and lanes fund, 30 school car free zones, and for kids outdoor play areas.

We’ve funded new work to tackle empty homes and to work with communities to design better recycling and waste services.

Greens have long campaigned to protect the pools, libraries and community centres we treasure.

Thanks to the national budget deal, Glasgow City Council has been able to guarantee funding for Glasgow Life which means 100 venues will be able to reopen.

And now, Greens have secured agreement that will maintain Glasgow Life’s budget into the future to protect our community facilities.

On that, I’m especially delighted with the agreement with the SNP to put a joint million pounds of investment into vital repairs to Whitehill Pool in Dennistoun.

It’s the gem at the heart of our local community, but it’s also vital for disabled people as the only accessible pool, and for BME swimming learners across Glasgow.

This funding is tribute to the tenacity of local campaigners in fighting for our beloved pool, and I am delighted it can reopen as soon as it’s safe to do so.

There’s a lot of work to do longer term to sort out local funding, so we don’t have to have these crisis management talks every year and force communities to fight tooth and nail for vital services.

However, regardless of the financial context, Greens will always work constructively to get the best outcomes we can for the communities we represent, and for the planet. That’s how we get stuff done.