The “Reach Out St Luke’s Team” working with Joe Herd, manager of social justice and community and PC Gordon Sweeney, Campus officer, have been litter picking and cheering up shoppers with traditional tunes.

On Friday, December 13, youngsters gathered in Barrhead Health Centre for a live choir session as their peers collected on Barrhead Main Street for charity.

A school spokesman said: “The outreach programme is a way for the youngsters in the school to give something back to the community, which they have been doing with litter picks in different parts of the town and volunteering for a number of different charities.

“The pupils have been collecting for the school’s funding efforts to help poverty stricken children in Malawi.” Pupils also manned a stall to collect food donations which would then be handed over to East Renfrewshire Foodbank, which is based out of Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire.

The foodbank has fed almost 200 families since it opened in Barrhead in September, and has amassed more than four tonnes of food to hand out over the festive months to families living below the breadline.

The foodbank will hand food parcels out only on recommendation from a GP, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, church ministers and other official services such as schools.

Approved sources can then hand out vouchers for food parcels, and if foodbank users wish to remain anonymous they can.

The spokesman added: “The fundraising efforts of the pupils and the generosity of the Barrhead people has been fantastic.

“We managed to raise more than £100 on the day as well as plenty of food to be donated to the East Renfrewshire Foodbank.” Transport operations and vehicle maintenance has been hailed as the best in the country and scooped a prestigious national award.

For the service was recognised as the best performer in its category in the