Local MSP Rona Mackay was delighted to team up with Kirkintilloch Rotary for the launch of its first annual winter coat collection under the banner of ‘Reduce Reuse Recycle’ at the project’s Kirkintilloch Marina base this week.
With winter on the way, the Rotary is looking for donations of adults’ and children’s coats and jackets in good, clean condition to recycle to anyone who needs them in the local community. Donations can be dropped into the branded large boxes in various local stores before an eager team will check and sort them for distribution.
Auchinairn and Hillhead Community Centres are also hosting “pop-up rails” for local people to select a preloved item to their own requirements. The project is in conjunction with WrapUp, an organisation started three years ago in London to help divert coats from landfill.
Commenting, Ms Mackay said: “Many of us have a coat that is lurking in the back of a wardrobe that we may never wear again, but still has plenty of life in it. This is such a great example of people in the constituency working together to make a difference.
“Thanks to the vision of Kirkintilloch Rotary and some fantastic partnership working with the Community Payback Team, colleagues in East Dunbartonshire Social Work Dept and local stores, this is a good way for communities to come together while cutting down on waste.”
Daibhidh Wallace, District Governor Nominee & Assistant Governor of Rotary in the West of Scotland, added: “We have already been so encouraged by the support of local people in making this month-long event so worthwhile.
“We are hoping that this will be the first of many and that we can have an even bigger event next year. All eyes are on East Dunbartonshire, as there are plans to roll out the project across Scotland next year.
“Thank you to everyone who is getting involved by donating coats, sorting them, delivering them to community centres, helping to spread the word and, of course, helping to find new homes for these preloved coats.”
Coat collection boxes are in Archies (Waterside), Caulders, Dobbies, Lidl and Sainsburys. For further information, please email Daibhidh westofscotland@wrapup.org .
The pop-up rails will be in Auchinairn Community Centre on Tuesdays: 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd November, 1-3pm and Hillhead Community Centre on Thursdays: 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th November, 9am-4pm. If anyone would like to browse the selection of coats but the dates are not suitable, please text 07789745237.
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Notes to editors: Photo Caption: l-r, Frances McGuire, EDC Social Work; Daibhidh Wallace, Kirkintilloch Rotary; Alasdair MacLeod, EDC Community Payback Coordinator;