A GREENOCK church’s final act after closing its doors was to gift £20,000 to Ardgowan Hospice - one of the charity’s largest ever single donations.

The kind-hearted former St Andrew Square United Free Church congregation decided to make the donation in recognition of the impact the hospice has on the community.

At a special handover yesterday the hospice’s outgoing chief executive Anne Mills and the new acting chief executive Ian Marshall paid tribute to the generosity of the church members.

St Andrew United Free Church was recently forced to wind down after 150 years because of a ‘dwindling and ageing’ congregation.

Speaking for the members of the congregation, former session clerk Tom More said: “I think we all know someone who has been in the hospice and we don’t know where life is going to take any of us.

“This was something positive, something good that has come from the church closing.”

There were tears from the lifelong members of the church when it closed for good in September last year.

But the members decided to make sure their congregational fund went to deserving charities with the main benefactor, the hospice.

The fund, which belong to the congregation itself, has accumulated over the years from fundraising, bequests and other sources.

Tom added: “We decided this was what we wanted to do with the money we had left.”

Hospice boss Mrs Mills was delighted to accept the donation on her last day at Ardgowan.

She said: “This really is a very special donation.

“It is certainly one of our largest. It is something really positive to come from something that was obviously very sad for the church.

“It never ceases to amaze me, the generosity shown towards the hospice.

“This will make a significant contribution.”

Anne added: “We are supported by so many people. I have children coming in here to donate their communion money or from a bake sale that they had. Every donation means such a lot.”

The new acting chief executive Mr Marshall also praised the congregation for their donation.