West Kilbride mum Gillian McBain has been moved by the international crisis at Calais and has set up a drop-off point for humanitarian supplies at Fairlie Quay on Saturday 10 October between 10am and 4pm. Last week, Gillian outlined some of the help she has received so far, and here she gives an update as the campaign gains momentum.

Another week flies past, the Christmas sweets arrive in the supermarkets, the nights are fair drawin’ in and still more people come forward to offer their help to the appeal for donations.

The media has really highlighted the scale of the refugee crisis across Europe this week. You won’t have been able to miss the documentaries, news coverage, and news articles if you tried. I’ve lost count of the tears I’ve shed listening to people speak about what they left behind and what they’ve endured to get to this point.

Once again we’ve been inundated with offers of time, support, donations and assistance. A message I was delighted to receive this week was from Lesley Richardson and West Kilbride Boys’ Brigade. They are donating the fabric and ground sheets from their older and damaged tents. The poles are not required but the groundsheets and outers can be used to build new shelters, which is ideal with temperatures starting to dip.

The Reverend James McNay and assistant minister Mandy Hickman from West Kilbride Parish Church are going to provide us with an additional drop-off point in West Kilbride. This is fantastic as there are a few people who are unable to attend on the 10th and wish to drop off donations ahead of the 10th October. The extra location and sorting space will make such a difference. A huge thanks for the invaluable support. I’ll have dates and times for this in next week’s edition.

Fiona Houston from Autograph Signs has been in touch this week too. Fiona is donating to the collection by providing us with signage to help with directions on the day, again another huge thank you for your generosity.

Now, not to take the shine off the other messages I’ve received this week, but I have to admit to having a favourite and it’s from Anita in Ayr.

Up until Christmas last year, Anita’s daughter Heather spent 14 months in Yorkhill hospital. Heather is now home, has good and bad days, but is back at school and clearly a very generous young soul. During Heather’s time in hospital, a friend of the family, called Nicki, made a quilt for her to use. Heather loved it and asked Nicki if she could make quilts for some of her friends that she’d met in the hospital.

What began was a donation of quilts from all Nicki’s quilting friends around the world. Heather loved distributing them to other children but now that Yorkhill has closed and the new hospital has everything they need, she’d like to donate them to the children arriving as refugees.

What a beautiful gesture from a young soul. Together with Troon Emergency Appeal for Refugees we’re going to organise a plan to get them to one of the camps with children. I’ll be visiting the family soon and will report back next week, hopefully with a wee picture or two.