FROM registering births and conducting marriages, to giving out food parcels and renewing library books, the council’s customer service centres were in demand last year.
In 2022-23, a total of 14,366 visits were made to the various centres in Annandale and Eskdale.
They gave out 829 dog fouling bags; handled 179 Blue Badge appointments; supported 33 individuals with taxi card applications; and issued 432 food parcels.
In addition, the Annandale and Eskdale Customer Services Team conducted 2797 marriages, registered 139 births, and registered 251 deaths.
In fact, they successfully handled 17 per cent of all marriages that took place in Scotland in 2022 – predominantly due to the location of Gretna Green in the area.
Libraries proved busy too and from April to September there were 1351 active library users accessing free services for book borrowing and computers.
Swimming pool attendance in Annan was 37,070, up 6.2 per cent; while the total number of attendances at indoor leisure facilities in Annandale and Eskdale was 48,572.
As of the end of September, there were 1479 households in Annandale and Eskdale in receipt of Housing Benefit; 1374 with Universal Credit Housing Costs in payment; and 3217 households with Council Tax Reduction.
Furthermore, 1036 school and nursery aged children were in receipt of free school meals.
Finally, there were 571 homeless applications of which 104 were in Annandale and Eskdale with 48 clients in temporary accommodation, and 118 Homeless applications open.
The facts and figures were presented at this week’s Annandale and Eskdale Area Committee.
