A LOCHWINNICH woman who became the first Scot to receive a double hand transplant joined fellow villagers to reopen a charity shop following a major makeover.

Corinne Hutton is a long-time supporter of St Vincent’s Hospice and teamed up with members of the Change Lochwinnoch project to unveil the newly-refurbished store.

Change Lochwinnoch was launched by a group of volunteers who have close ties with the Howwood-based hospice.

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After months of fundraising efforts and generous contributions from supporters and businesses, renovation work on the shop has now been completed, creating a modern environment for visitors to enjoy.

Corinne, who also became the first female quadruple amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, told The Gazette: “Charity and community are two things that are extremely close to my heart and this is a celebration of both.

“I’m certain the shop will be a success because of the fantastic locals and I’ll be popping in whenever I can.”

Every year, the hospice shops raise more than £400,000 towards the life-changing work of St Vincent’s.

One of the organisers of the project, Christine Midgley, added: “It seems like the whole village has supported the hospice shop refurbishment.

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“There are far too many people to name but we want to thank everyone who has given their time, services, materials, money or even just dropped in with snacks or well wishes to keep us going.

“Special thanks has to go to Eric Whitfield. The entire refurbishment was his idea and he ran with it – planning, organising and managing the whole thing and begging, borrowing and chasing support from anyone we could get to make this a reality.

“He is our hero.”

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