FREEMASONS in East Renfrewshire have donated cash to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Members of five local lodges visited The Hub, in Main Street, Barrhead, on Thursday to hand over a cheque for £735 as part of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Renfrewshire East Community Foodbank Project.

It brings the lodges’ total donations to foodbanks in recent weeks to £1,505.

Thursday’s delegation included representatives of Lodge Union and Crown 307 and Lodge Randolph 1434, both based in Barrhead, Lodge Union and Thistle 1167, based in Neilston, Lodge Nitshill 1478 and Lodge Newton Mearns 1706.

Last month, the same group of lodges made donations of £385 each to the East Renfrewshire Foodbank, in Barrhead, and Pollok Foodbank as part of the same Grand Lodge of Scotland Covid-19 Community Challenge Appeal.

The recipient in this case was the Include Me 2 Club – a voluntary-led charity working with children, young people and adults with an additional support need or disability.

Operating across East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow, the charity provides a range of weekly activities that are accessible, affordable and achievable for young people and adults.

The club took possession of the James McGuire Building in January 2019 and has converted it into a gallery, gift and coffee shop, kitchen, meeting room and offices.

Volunteers have managed to provide 150 meals a day, five days a week, to deserving causes for the last five months. 

In doing so, they have clocked up more than 3,300 volunteer hours and covered 4,300 miles.

The visiting Masons were met by Paul McIlvenny, who took them on a tour of the building and explained the club’s extensive charitable works within the community.