A YOUNG girl from Ayr has been going above and beyond during lockdown by making special deliveries to emergency service workers throughout Ayrshire.

Eleven-year-old Aimee Saunders has been touring police and fire stations up and down the region gifting staff with unique abstract paintings, as well as food to tide them over through their shift.

The keen young artist began painting abstract artworks at the beginning of lockdown, which she then began gifting to members of the public ‘to cheer them up’.

When people started giving money in return for the paintings, Aimee was grateful but concerned. She didn’t want to keep the money for herself that, wasn’t why she had made the paintings. So after a chat with her mum, Heather, she decided that to donate it to charity.

Heather said: “We thought about the NHS but they’re already receiving a lot, so we thought we could donate it to fire and police services instead, but then we couldn’t just donate the money to them, then we thought well, we could donate hot food to the back shift.

“We started off with Paisley because Aimee’s auntie is a police officer there and they were so grateful and Aimee just got the bug, she’s not stopped, she’s been painting and painting and painting.”

Staff at Paisley then gave Aimee more money, which has now been used to purchase the food for the next station that she visits. She has since been to Prestwick Airport police station, both Troon and Ayr fire and police stations, and Dalmellington fire station amongst others.

Aimee who celebrated her final day as a Monkton Primary student on Wednesday (June 24) before moving onto Prestwick Academy has no plans on stopping anytime soon, saying that: “everybody’s so thankful, no matter what I give them.”

Her mum believes it’s been great for Aimee, saying: “She’s still doing school stuff, but I think she’s learning a more valuable lesson with this, interacting with people. She didn’t do it to be in the paper, she’s very modest, but I really appreciate it, it’s given her a real boost.”

Ian McMeekin area commander for the fire service in Ayrshire said: “At this moment in the lockdown she’s taken the time to think of another, to brighten up somebody’s day, that’s a lovely gesture. She comes across as very mature.”

  ********************

Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. We're not exaggerating when we say that the future of the Ayr Advertiser, and the vital local news service we've provided since 1803, is under threat.

Please consider supporting the Ayr Advertiser in whatever way you can – by paying just 90p for a copy of the paper, when you're shopping for essential supplies for yourself and others, or by subscribing to our e-edition here.

Thanks – and stay safe.