Maclean's Highland Bakery helps kit out football teams in Uganda

A LOCAL business has stepped up to help people in need at home and away.

Maclean's Highland Bakery not only helped produce vital hand sanitiser for the frontline in Scotland but has also been kitting out young footballers in Africa.

Managing director Lewis Maclean recently supplied Avva Scottish Gin Distiller in Elgin with glycerine, helping the distiller to make 2000 bottles of hand sanitizer for the NHS, emergency services, schools, care homes, food producers and care staff.

He has also been lending a helping hand to a worthy cause nearly 7000 miles away.

He explained: "I saw a picture on Twitter of orphans playing football in Uganda wearing what can only be described as rags and I wondered how I could help them.

"I heard that football fans from Northern Ireland and Central Scotland had been donating football boots and equipment but, due to circumstances, 35 boxes of kit had gathered in the bottom of a social club in Belfast with no way of getting to Africa.

"I saw a chance to get involved."

Lewis considered driving to Belfast in a Maclean's van to collect the kit but after looking at the expense, had a rethink.

He said: "I contacted a wholesaler for bakery ingredients and supplies I knew in Belfast , Andrew Ingredients, to ask if they would consider collecting the large pallet and I would meet them in Glasgow.

"I was absolutely stunned by their generosity when they agreed to deliver it all the way to Forres!"

Within four days the boxes were collected and delivered to Maclean's bakery on the Greshop industrial estate.

Lewis said: "The orphanage had been waiting for two years for this stuff to arrive so I decided to send two large boxes by DHL directly.

"We were a few items short so I put out a call locally and received the missing goalkeepers tops and gloves. We then sent enough items for senior and junior teams.

"It was really pleasing to see the photos of them all kitted out!"