Commemorating Cllr Betty Cunningham OBE

That the Parliament notes with sadness the passing of Cllr Betty Cunningham OBE, elected member for Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor Ward on East Renfrewshire Council and former Provost of East Renfrewshire, after a period of illness; understands that Betty was elected to East Renfrewshire Council in 1999 to represent the Barrhead East Ward, which contained her home community of Dunterlie and was subsequently elected at each local government election to represent the successor Wards for the town of Barrhead; notes her service as Provost from 2003 to 2007, in which she promoted East Renfrewshire across Scotland and the UK, dedicated vast amounts of time to local organisations and raised thousands of pounds for charities, including to support local talented young musicians, help local churches and hospices and to aid overseas development, as well as organising events to tackle loneliness and isolation for older people such as the Provost's senior citizen afternoon tea and concert events; acknowledges her work in Malawi over many years, particularly in the community of Kaponda where, after a visit in 2007, she established the Betty Cunningham International Trust, which has supported the provision of education, healthcare, skills and agriculture opportunities, as well as taking hundreds of young people from East Renfrewshire to Malawi to participate in volunteering and cultural exchange; understands that she received an OBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to local government and charity, as well as the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Lifetime Legend Award in 2024; believes that Betty was a force of nature most often to be found on her mobile phone dealing with constituents' problems; further believes that she was Barrhead through and through, and, from the "foot of the town" to the Palace, receiving her honour, she was always Betty; offers condolences to all who knew her, and believes that her legacy will live on in the town and much further afield for generations to come.