A BIG-HEARTED Port Glasgow family are rallying round to help the community during the Covid-19 crisis.

Eddie Lapsley, his wife Liz, daughters and grandchildren are all doing their bit to support people in their time of need.

The prolific fundraising family have donated nightdresses and pyjamas and toiletries to Compassionate Inverclyde in response to their appeal.

Eddie, 65, a retired offshore worker, said: "We have supported quite a few charities over the years.

"We helped The Gurka Welfare Trust, Erskine, Help for Heroes last year and we held a charity night for Compassionate Inverclyde and Poppy Scotland and raised almost £1,000.

"We try to do a charity night every year and when I worked offshore my family got involved and my daughter Tracy ran the night with other family members."

Eddie, who lives in Brown Street, retired two years ago and started focusing on local charities.

His friend Billy Weir is a volunteer with Compassionate Inverclyde, who provide the back home boxes for people returning home from hospital.

Eddie said: "It's very important to rally around and help each other out.

"There are so many charities I would like to help.

"I used to support a lot of military charities but I decided to support more local groups - a couple of hundred pounds means more to a small charity that a national one."

Liz gathered new nightdresses and the family added to that with some toiletries and donations have also been handed in to Tracy's house in Gourock.

Eddie and Liz's other daughters - Nicola and Michelle - have also been pitching in to help, as have their grandchildren.

Amelia, eight, Lottie, three, Mirrin, eight, and Aria, four, have all been writing out cards for inside the back home boxes.

The family highlighted the collection on Facebook and say the response they have had from family and friends has been overwhelming.

The Provincial Grand Master of Renfrewshire West Bro Robin McIntyre donated a cheque for £250 to Compassionate Inverclyde.

Billy McPherson also donated £100 in memory of his late father Donnie, the much-loved publican of the Comet Bar.

Liz has also found time to bake apple crumbles made from apples grown in their garden and handed them into the Belville Community Garden, which has been a focal point for much of the coronavirus relief effort.

Billy Weir, a volunteer with Compassionate Inverclyde, said: "It's absolutely fantastic what the family have done.

"They also had a charity event last November and raised £965 for us.

"They went out again and gathered things together from friends and family and lodge members.

"At this time, because of Covid-19, we are also giving out boxes to people who are self-isolating and we have distributed 350 in the last four weeks.

"This is a great contribution which will help us a great deal."