A LOCAL MSP hopes a charitable clothing enterprise in the Tweed Valley can expand to other parts of the Borders.

Since Tweed Togs was formed in 2017 it has helped more than 300 families with much-needed good quality clothing for their children.

Volunteers at the Kailzie headquarters not only wash and iron the donated items, for children up to the age of 12, but they also wrap them in tissue paper for delivery.

A growing number of referrals are received by the charity every month from health visitors, teachers and social workers.

But MSP Christine Grahame, who visited Tweed Togs last week, believes the service should expand beyond the Tweed Valley.

She said: "It was great to visit the centre of Tweed Togs activity at their warehouse in Kailzie recently and see all the volunteers fantastic work first hand.

“It’s a band of wonderful women who sort the clothing, take it home to be washed and ironed and then wrap in tissue paper to be put into smart bags for delivery.

"This careful wrapping really goes a long way to improving the experience of children in receiving these donations.

“As a granny myself, having two grown-up sons, I can’t resist buying clothes for my granddaughters and know how soon these are outgrown – I’m pleased that an initiative like this can put them to good use.

“Unfortunately, demand grows daily for the clothes especially from the Eastern side of the Borders and there would be room for a similar project being set up in Galashiels or Hawick.

"If anyone would be interested in starting this up I’d be happy to put them in touch with Tweed Togs to take this forward.”

Donations of clothing can be made at local branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland as well as the Tontine Hotel, Fat Face and First Nursery in Peebles, Innerleithen Co-op, Nashy's Coffee House in Cardrona, and the West Linton Early Learners' Group.