By Monica Gibson

ONE person’s trash is proving to be another’s treasure as schoolkids in India will soon be sitting at desks from the old Barrhead High.

Chairs, tables, filing cabinets and other office furniture recently set off on a three-month journey from Barrhead to Mumbai in a giant container, thanks to Giffnock-based charity Mothers Care India.

Patricia Lonergan set up the charity in 2010 and her daughter Frances is now part of the team.

Frances told the Barrhead News: “Mothers Care India is a tiny wee charity which runs out of my mum’s house but we have managed to achieve great things, thanks to the hard work and generosity of those involved.

“The Mary’s Meals charity takes children from the slums and into schools. As the kids get older, some of them prefer to work to get money for their families but we help those who are keen to continue with their education.

“We provide uniforms and writing materials and pay for them to learn.

“We now help around 2,000 kids and we have built a school called St Alphonsa’s, in Uttar Pradesh, which is where the furniture from Barrhead High School is going.

“East Renfrewshire Council was very helpful in letting us go into Barrhead High and label what we needed.

“While these items are unsuitable for the new Barrhead High, they were still in decent condition and will help tremendously in keeping our costs down.”

Frances admits she has been amazed by the generosity of those willing to help Mothers Care India.

She said: “These wonderful things keep happening. My mum met someone at a coffee morning who works for a transportation company. They donated the container, which we had painted with the message ‘from Scotland, with love’.

“The container will also be a permanent feature at the school so that the children in India will know the story of where the items came from.”

St Ninian’s High and other schools across East Renfrewshire also got involved in the initiative by donating musical instruments and other equipment.

Similarly, after an appeal was issued on social media, many local families and supporters provided bags, jotters, pens, shoes and school uniforms in a bid to ensure the container was full to the brim.

The bell at Barrhead High, in Aurs Road, rang for the last time on June 23.

Pupils are expected to be able to start the 2017/18 academic year at their new £29 million school, which is being built at the Johnny Kelly Pavilion and blaes pitch site, on August 11.

Bosses at East Renfrewshire Council are delighted the closure of the old Barrhead High is having such a positive spin-off.

A spokesman said: “As part of our preparations for moving to the new Barrhead High, we relocated furniture to our other schools and also donated items to a range of local charities.

“We’re delighted to have supported local charities and groups in this way and it’s fantastic this furniture will now be reused.”