We’re in the pink in aid of breast cancer charity

Staff and customers at a Paisley optician branch were tickled pink for Breast Cancer Care after a month-long fundraising drive.

Staff at Specsavers, in Moss Street, arranged a range of fun activities, including a prize raffle, wearing pink on Saturdays, baking pink cupcakes and making generous donations out of their own pockets.

Customers were given the chance to win a pamper hamper with much of its raffled contents donated by a host of other bighearted businesses, including a year’s supply of Irn-Bru courtesy of makers AG Barr.

The Fairfull café, in High Street, donated vouchers, as did Subway, while Shearer Candles handed over some of its popular merchandise for a packed hamper.

More than £500 was raised for the charity, which provides essential support for people living with, and beyond, breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Care is the only specialist UK-wide charity providing care, support and information to anyone affected by breast cancer – and Specsavers staff now look forward to handing over their grand total.

The delighted winner of the store’s Pamper Hamper was Jean Porter, from Paisley.

Gail Thompson, store director, said: “Supporting the local community is at the heart of what we do here in the Paisley store – from caring for the sight of people in the town, to supporting good causes through fundraising.

“During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we decided to see how much we could collect for an appropriate charity through a few different fundraisers that would also encourage our customers to get involved.

“We were delighted by our fundraising total, the great response we got from the community and also by simultaneously having the chance to raise a bit of local awareness about the vital work of Breast Cancer Care.

“Our gratitude must also go out to the kind businesses who donated items for our hamper – and our congratulations to Mrs Porter on winning it.” The search is on for East Renfrewshire’s citizen of the year 2018.

E a s t R e n f re w s h i re Council’s Provost Award honours people who have contributed to the local community.

It also gives people the chance to say thank you to the army of unsung heroes and heroines in the area.

Councillor Jim Fletcher, Provost of East Renfrewshire Council, said: “We know there are many individuals working tirelessly in our community day in, day out.

“That ’ s why we are appealing for residents to nominate their citizen of the year for this award.

“It always gives me great pleasure to hear about the fantastic work going on in our communities, which is one of the many things that makes East Renfrewshire such a fantastic place to live in, work in, and visit.”

Last year, Bar rhead resident Anne Mar ie Kennedy, who runs her own volunteer- led charity East Renfrewshire Community Transport, won the award.

Nominations for the Provost’s Award 2018 can be made at www. east renfrewshire.co.uk