Community effort to keep club on track

East Renfrewshire Good Causes has banded together with Eastwood Rotary and Barrhead Rotary to help keep a local disabled group in action.

The Include Me 2 Club — founded by Ashley and Paul McIlvenny for adults with special needs — runs on Tuesday evenings at the Columba Club in Barrhead, offering a disco, karaoke and bingo, as well as a chance to catch up with friends.

However, the group’s electronic equipment was recently damaged — and without it, the social club was unable to continue.

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Russell Macmillan, founder of charity East Ren Good Causes and registered blind himself, told The Extra: “When a local social worker applied to us on the group’s behalf, we were delighted to pull together many groups in our area to come to the resue of this fantastic club.

“On visiting the club to research the grant application, I was delighted and humbled to see such a lovely group of potentially disadvantaged adults coming together.

“Ashley and Paul are due a massive thanks from our community, and ERGC were delighted to provide our £658 to the collective pot, which was a great team effort.”

Eastwood Rotary was able to add £500 to the cause, while Barrhead Rotary contributed £200 — and, combined with £300 from the club itself, the show is able to go on once more.

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Paul McIlvenny added: “The Include Me 2 Club would like to thank ERGC and its supporters for helping to replace vital music equipment for the 170 members who attend weekly activities.

“The club is a vital part of the disable community in East Ren and can now grow again thanks to this donation.”