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CHARITY SET UP SCHOLARSHIP IN MEMORY OF MARGARET

A CHARITY helping needy children in Inverclyde is to set up a special scholarship in memory of a 93-year-old Tele community champion who had raised thousands of pounds in their name.

Children in Poverty Inverclyde founder Pat Burke has announced the organisation will support local young school leavers as a lasting tribute to pensioner Margaret Sneddon.

The feisty Port pensioner, who lived in Crosshill Gardens Sheltered Housing, spent her latter years helping to support the charity, which sends struggling families on holiday.

Fun loving Marg aret showed her wild side when she realised a lifelong dream and raced down the Clune Brae in a motorbike in aid of CIPI. But she also devoted much of her own time to organising fundraisers.

Last year Margaret was crowned our Tele Senior Community Champion of the year for her exploits.

Last November she ended up in hospital as her health deteriorated and she sadly passed away.

Her friend and CIPI chairman Mr Burke said: “We miss Margaret very much. She was great for us. I became really good friends with her and loved visiting her at Crosshill Gardens. “I was devastated by her death. I very much enjoyed my visits with her, she was great company and a real one off. Margaret was very private and independent. “She really did care about our charity and was one of our greatest supporters. But most importantly she cared about the children.

“Margaret was so generous with her time and she loved doing anything that helped.” As well as making donations and raising money, Margaret also hand-knitted gifts to give out to youngsters supported by the charity.

Now in tribute to the charity fundraiser, Children in Poverty Inverclyde is creating an award in her name.

Pat is in talks with education chiefs about a £1,000 scholarship which will go to deserving pupils to help support them going to university or further education and will continue ever year.

Pat, below, added: “This seems a fitting tribute to Margaret. She did so much in life to try to give all children the same chance, so it seemed important to do this in her memory. I think this would make her proud.

“This is something that we really want to do in her name, to help young people like she would want us to.”

In recent years Margaret’s donations helped the charity send disadvantaged children and their families on much needed holiday breaks.

The charity has also helped support families through the cost of living crisis. Margaret, who was a former home help, hit the headlines back in 2022 with her charity motor bike ride then in May last year she was awarded the Tele Community Champion of the Year prize and Pat arranged for a respite trip to the charity’s holiday home with her friends. But last November Margaret suffered a fall and ended up in hospital, before passing away. Charity founder Mr Burke recently visited Crosshill Gardens as staff and residents made a donation to his charity in memory of Mrs Sneddon, having collected Easter eggs for youngsters.

Pat would like to thank everyone at the complex for their help.