STAFF at Barrhead Housing Association raised an amazing £2,000 for charity this week in 2008 by organising a sponsored five-mile walk as part of their health at work programme.

The association presented a large cheque to the Children’s Hospice Association for Scotland (CHAS) and moved a step closer to receiving the Silver award from the Scotland’s Health At Work (SHAW) scheme.

Association director Shirley Robison said: “It went very well and all the staff completed it. Nearly £500 came from our local contractors and the rest came from friends and family of staff.

“We were awarded the Bronze award about 18 months ago and we’ll be assessed in February for the Silver award. After that, it’s the Gold, hopefully.

“There are benefits for the organisation to having healthy staff and we wanted not only to promote health among the employees but also to identify a charity to help.”

Each year, staff who oversaw the office’s health activities would choose a charity to benefit from its fundraising efforts under the SHAW scheme.

Nearly 20 staff took part in the sponsored walk, following a route from Barrhead Housing Association’s office in the town’s Main Street, past The Hurlet and back towards Cross Arthurlie Street, via Dykebar.

The walk, ruled a huge success, was organised by maintenance assistant Elaine Little.