A CHARITY which provides support for people with mental ill health in Renfrew- shire has hit the streets in a new electric van.

It's thanks to a charity gift from the Glasgow Airport FlightPath Fund. RAMH, formerly known as Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health, supports clients to maintain their tenancies or to re-settle in new homes and maintain a safe and comfortable home through its Lifeskills programme.

The £10,000 cost of the new vehicle has been met by the FlightPath Fund and the Clothworkers' Foundation, with each providing half the cash.

It will allow RAMH to continue providing vital services like gardening, painting, carpet-fitting and delivering furniture and other household items all over Renfrewshire.

As the van is carbon neutral it will also result in a significant reduction in the charity's carbon footprint.

John McConnell, head of commercial at Glasgow Airport, said: "RAMH clearly provides fantastic support for people in Renfrewshire who suffer from mental ill-health through its Lifeskills programme, and key to maintaining that support is finding an affordable way for staff and volunteers to carry out these visits to people in the community each day.

"As a business which takes our environmental responsibilities very seriously, we are also keen to support RAMH in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The electric van is carbon neutral and cheap to run, which makes it ideal for the type of short journeys on urban roads for which it will be used."

Stephen McLellan, RAMH Chief Executive, said: "We are very grateful to Glasgow Airport for recognising the importance of increasing tenancy sustainment and supporting our efforts to increase it through this award.

"It is well known that providing furniture to tenants in need, and carrying out odd jobs in the earlier stages of a tenancy, are effective ways of increasing tenancy sustainment."

ewan.fergus @evening times.co.uk