Kilsyth family through to final of "Bootifull" competition

Murray and Kirsteen O'Donnell, and their daughters Annie (7) and Millie (5), were nominated to win a holiday in a competition organised by Bernard Matthews Farms by grateful friend Julie Royle. Having made it through to the final 12 families, they will know next week if they have won a trip to Lapland to meet Santa.

Julie wanted to thanks the O'Donnells for showing real community spirit and rallying round to help her recover from an operation.

In her letter of recommendation, Julie said "I am a family friend of the O'Donnell family, a very busy family. Kirsteen is always running around looking after someone or someone's child. Recently I had major surgery and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to me.

Kirsteen and Murray have been available to give me a lift to and from the hospital. Kirsteen has come over to my house and hoovered, mopped and ironed - thing that I can't do just yet. I don't even need to ask.

"Annie was over at mine and hoovered for me because I could not do it. Millie cheers me up without realising she has done it.

"Kirsteen and the family are very good to another family friend who was rushed in to hospital recently with pneumonia. Her family live about 330 miles away. Kirsteen took charge of hospital visits, sortted the house out for her coming home and kept in touch with the family until they could come down.

"Kirsteen is very well-known in the community. She was one of the founders of Hands, a group for mothers or fathers to come and meet weekly with their children to get support, advice or even friendship. The children try wherever possible to help others. As a family there are lots of after-school activities - swimming, piano lessons, Brownies, Rainbows and karate, so as you can imagine they are a very busy family who still find time for others."