In order to help spread a little Christmas cheer in what has been a pretty awful year for everyone, Melville has made a £3,000 donation to local charities.

Spread across Midlothian, the six organisations to benefit from £500 each are Dalkeith Storehouse, Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust (MAEDT), Gorebridge-based Midlothian Foodbank, Newbattle Storehouse, Penicuik Foodbank and Mayfield-based Y2K.

In his last official engagement before he retires at the end of the year, Melville Chief Executive Andrew Noble said, “I can’t think of a better way of marking the end of my time at Melville than making these donations to such fantastic organisations, all of whom provide invaluable services to their local communities.

“Throughout my 25 years at Melville, partnerships have been central to our success and after the difficult year we’ve all had, and the tough times that undoubtedly lie ahead, it’s working together that will help get us through. I wish all of the organisations that I’ve had the pleasure of working with during my time at Melville all the very best for the future.”

“Thanks to our friends at Melville Housing for the very generous donation of £500 towards our work,” said Carol Flack, Project Manager of Mayfield-based youth charity Y2K. “We were absolutely delighted to receive the cheque which came as a wonderful surprise.

“So many challenges lie ahead of us but we will continue to do our very best for the communities we serve and will endeavour to work in partnership to address issues that impact on all residents young and old. Together we will also continue to celebrate the achievements and resilience of our young people as a testament to the strength of our community.”