Rutherglen Reformer

DONATIONS

- Douglas Dickie

A Cambuslang business helped spread Christmas joy to people fighting cancer at the weekend.

The owners of Elfy Trees were at Maggie’s Lanarkshir­e delivering trees for the second year running.

Just a week ago, the company were in the Reformer after they were targeted in what appears to be a bizarre ‘turf war’ with rivals who defaced their advertisin­g boards.

But that has failed to ruin their festive spirit and they were only too happy to help the centre, which provides free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends.

The business owners were there dressed as elves to make the delivery. Angus Crabbie (known in elf circles as Gus McSprinkle­s), James Stevenson ( Jimmy McJangles) and his wife Donna Stevenson (Happy McJingles) brought some Christmas magic to the Monklands-based facility.

Donna said: “It was great, like being back among old friends. We got such a great welcome.

“Cancer is something that is affecting people we know and love right now. We’ve lost a number of friends to cancer and Maggie’s does so much good work, not just for those going through treatment, but also for their families.”

Elfy Trees, which is based on Johnson Drive, is also raising money for Soldiers of the Streets through its letter to Santa service and for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Donna admitted she’s been amazed at the response from the community to last week’s story. “It’s just blown right up, “she says. “We’ve been doing deliveries all over Glasgow, people are looking us up and coming to visit.

“There are even people just coming to see us and lend their support. The community have really got behind us.

orrie Forsyth, centre head at Maggie’s Lanarkshir­e, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Elfy Trees for once again providing us with lovely Christmas trees.

“They look beautiful in the centre and the staff and centre visitors love to see them.

“It’s the first time we’ve had elves visit Maggie’s Lanarkshir­e; they seemed quite at ‘gnome’ and we’d be ‘ fairy’ happy to have them back anytime.”

Maggie’s Lanarkshir­e is a warm and welcoming place, with qualified profession­als on hand to offer an evidence-based core programme of support that has been shown to improveL physical and emotional wellbeing. A 55- year- old man has been cleared of charges that he sexually assaulted two girls aged under 13.

James Carr, of Ryan Way, Rutherglen, was alleged to have touched the two girls on their private parts over their clothing.

The offences were claimed to have happened between June 1 and June 15, ” 2014.

This week at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Carr was found not guilty of the offences.

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