Gillian Marley Milligan has been gathering together warm winter coats of all shapes and sizes which will be go to those in need over this festive season.
And she has been overwhelmed by the hundreds of donations that flooded in throughout November and early December.
Explaining more about where the idea came from, Gillian, who works as a store manager at Gretna Gateway Outlet Village, said: “It was actually a post off Facebook, they were doing a collection in Glasgow and I just thought, why are we not doing that locally? Then I was watching Children in Need a couple of days later and I just decided I was going to get the ball rolling and sort something out.”
Gillian’s garage ended up packed full of cosy coats for both children and adults, which have now been given to the local branch of the Salvation Army to be distributed. She continued: “I approached a few different local charities but I decided to work with the Salvation Army because I want them to go to local people. There are so many places that need help but I think we have got to look after our own first.” Her efforts have been aided by an army of friends and strangers who have volunteered to help. She said: “There are ladies in Castle Douglas, Lockerbie and Glencaple who are all collecting for me, and Mrs Howats Vintage Pantry in Dumfries has been a drop off point too. It has brought out a real community spirit. It was all word of mouth and it just grew arms and legs, the response has been amazing.”
The coat collection is something Gillian hopes to repeat next year, when she is considering expanding her operation to gather toiletries and other warm clothing too. She said: “There are so many people in our area on the poverty line and they are really struggling, a bit of time out of my day is nothing if it means I can help.”
