A YOUNG girl has been going above and beyond during lockdown by making special deliveries to emergency service workers throughout Ayrshire.

Eleven-year-old Aimee Saunders has been touring police and fire stations in the region, gifting staff with unique abstract paintings, as well as food to tide them over through their shift.

The keen young artist began painting abstract artworks at the beginning of lockdown, which she then began gifting to members of the public ‘to cheer them up’.

When people started giving money in return for the paintings Aimee was grateful but she didn’t want to keep the money for herself that, wasn’t why she had made the paintings. So after a chat with her mum, Heather, she decided to donate it to charity.

Heather said: “We thought about the NHS but they’re already receiving a lot, so we thought we could donate it to fire and police services instead, but then we couldn’t just donate the money to them, then we thought we could donate hot food to the back shift.

“Started off with Paisley because Aimee’s auntie is a police officer there and they were so grateful and Aimee just got the bug, she’s not stopped, she’s been painting and painting and painting.”

Staff at Paisley then gave Aimee more money, which has now been used to purchase the food for the next station that she visits. She has since been to police and fire stations all over Ayrshire and last week she made an appearance at both Cumnock and New Cumnock fire stations as well as Dalmellington police and fire stations.

Aimee has no plans on stopping anytime soon, saying: “Everybody’s so thankful, no matter what I give them.”

Ian McMeekin area commander for the fire service in Ayrshire, who met Aimee in Cumnock said: “At this moment in the lockdown she’s taken the time to think of another, to brighten up somebody’s day, it’s a lovely gesture.”

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