A paws-itive charity boost from staff at town store

Staff at the Hamilton branch of Pets At Home received a round of a‘paws’after raising a staggering £8902 for the Support Adoption For Pets annual‘santa Paws’ appeal.

Since the fundraiser launched in November, staff and customers collected enough money to provide almost 17,800 dinners for Cat Action Trust in Lanarkshire.

In the four weeks leading up to Christmas, customers shopping in the Hamilton branch were given the opportunity to donate 50p to help provide a dinner for pets spending Christmas in a rescue centre, along with more than 440 Pets At Home stores across the UK.

This year, the annual ‘Santa Paws’fundraising appeal which launched on Black Friday and ran until Christmas Eve, aimed to raise enough money to provide three million dinners to homeless pets across the UK.

“Thanks to help from the people of Hamilton, the charity was able to exceed the record-breaking total since the annual fundraiser launched in 2013.

Support Adoption For Pets fundraising manager Amy Wilson said:“this year we set an ambitious target to help raise enough money to feed more homeless pets than ever before.

“When we found out that we had reached this goal we were amazed and grateful to everyone who joined us on our mission to help make this the most special Christmas for pets in rescue centres across the UK.

“We would like to thank everybody who made a donation in Hamilton. Your help has brought a wagging tail and a happy Christmas to the lives of pets who need it most.”

Hundreds of betting shop customers in South Lanarkshire have backed a campaign to challenge violence against women.

Staff from bookmakers William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral took part in the weeklong initiative from White Ribbon Scotland, a charity which works to end genderbased violence

It involved 17 betting shops in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency of MSP Christina Mckelvie, who has long campaigned against domestic violence. She is a past co-convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Men’s Violence against Women and Children.

Customers were asked to sign the White Ribbon pledge ‘never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women in all its forms’ and over 550 backed the pledge.

Ms Mckelvie said: “The vital importance of this campaign is the way in which it really brings awareness where it is most required. Only through peer pressure can the message of zero tolerance really hit home.

“I commend White Ribbon Scotland for its participation in this great team effort, and I am delighted to see how successful it has been in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.”

The campaign is joint initiative between White Ribbon Scotland and the betting shop trade body, ABB Scotland.

It coincided with 16 days of activism in support of women worldwide, that began with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and concluded with UN Human Rights Day.

Davy Thompson, campaign director for White Ribbon Scotland, said: “White Ribbon Scotland is a grassroots campaign which relies on word of mouth to promote equality and respect, with a view to reducing and ultimately eliminating violence against women.

“To achieve this, it is essential that we reach out to men throughout Scotland and this campaign with bookmakers does that in a very direct manner. The most basic thing men can do to end violence against women is to speak up against it.”

Donald Morrison, spokesman for ABB Scotland, said: “This is the