GALASHIELS rugby players have raised more than £1,000 for the local foodbank – and delivered carloads of supplies.

Over two successive weekends, Gala RFC invited supporters to drop off food at the gates of Scott Park.

Gala president Ian Dalgleish said: “Everyone’s generosity was fantastic.”

The weekend of April 25-26 saw nearly £300 left by players, committee members, supporters and the general public – in addition to bags of groceries.

The second weekend of collections, on May 2, raised £800 – including a bottle of coins totalling £100 from residents at Abbotsford Court.

Mr Dalgleish said: “[Captain] Euan Dods and [vice captain] Rex Jeffrey and other volunteers were collecting the food and donations at Scott Park, and then the bags were delivered to St Peter’s Church for the foodbank.

“The bottle of coins donated by the folk at Abbotsford Court was £82 – they don’t have a lot of money to give out but when they found out there was £82 in the bottle they actually topped it up to £100.

Galashiels Foodbank co-ordinator John Tucker said: “We are really thrilled to have all this local support.

“Nearly £1,100 was raised in two weekends, and Herculean amounts of food – two carloads of food both weekends – so our stocks are right up to where we want them to be, which is wonderful.

“In times of hardship people are thinking of each other. The public have really got their support behind this initiative and they just came along with food and money.

“Before COVID, we were giving out maybe 50 carrier bags of food a week.

"At [the virus's peak] about two weeks ago we gave out 200 – a fourfold increase in demand.

And the foodbank is not the only local charity to benefit from the generosity of the rugby club players.

Gala Men’s Shed, whose members are making face visors for care workers, was the grateful recipient of a £100 donation by the rugby club.

Scottish Borders Men’s Shed developer Ross Hall described the donation as "fantastic".

He said: "It took us over a wee setback in terms of supply, and Gala stepped in at just the right time to help us make more visors.

"So we had a wee break due to funding and now we’re back on track. Fantastic news."