THE Inverclyde community have been boxing clever after delivering a year of sterling support for pioneering charity initiative.

Compassionate Inverclyde’s Back Home Boxes project marked its first birthday with the news that 871 boxes have been given out to people being discharged from Inverclyde Royal Hospital who live alone.

The boxes contain bread and other provisions to allow the person to make themselves a hot drink and a light snack for a few days before they have to think about shopping, allowing them to focus on their recovery.

Volunteers are delighted with how well the project has advanced and how supportive the community have been.

One of them, ex-councillor and retired policeman Sandy Nimmo, said: “To think it started with one single box and now see more than 800 handed out is great.

“It really is a first class idea and people really seem to appreciate it.”

The whole Inverclyde community has backed the venture with donations flooding in from schools, nurseries, community groups and business organisations such as Tesco, Sainsburys and Amazon.

Sandy explained: “Amazon donate the boxes for us to fill, Sainsbury’s and Tesco donate bread to be included, members of the community make donations, schools and nurseries gather items and many local groups knit blankets to be included in the boxes.”

Pupils from local schools and nurseries also design and sign 'welcome home' cards which are included in the boxes.

The project has 36 volunteers and they are still recruiting.

Volunteers take on one or more two hour shifts at Inverclyde Royal, going round the wards to see if anyone being discharged is in need of a box.

Many of the volunteers have decided to help out as a way of giving back to the community.

Lorna Bowes, Iris MacDonald and Isobel Quinn have been involved for around three months and say they love being able to help people.

Lorna said: “I helped with meals on wheels before it stopped and wanted to continue doing something that helped so I signed up to be a volunteer here.

“I love it - I volunteer every Tuesday.

"You realise a lot more people are going home alone than you’d think and this helps them out, it’s fantastic.”

Iris added: "I retired and wanted to be able to give back to the community.

"I saw that they were looking for volunteers and decided to give it a go.

“The ambulance staff are great at working with us, many of the ambulances take the patients home and often they have enough to think about without an additional box but they are all fantastic.

“The staff on the wards are great too, they have got to know some of the volunteers and will often be ready to let us know when boxes are needed.”

The feedback that the volunteers get about the boxes makes what they do all the more worthwhile.

One person wrote the team a message saying: “In all of my 92 years I have never experienced such kindness, this box has touched my heart so deeply, I thank you all so sincerely from the bottom of my heart.”

The volunteers believe Back Home Boxes will now take off elsewhere.

Sandy said: “We can’t thank everyone who has made a donation enough, it really is a community effort and the people who receive the boxes are so appreciative.

“I think what has happened here is great, it really is a first class idea.”