A HEART charity is calling on the people of Dumbarton and Vale

of Leven to volunteer at a local shop.

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and by lending a hand funds will be raised to help the lives of those in Scotland living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Linda Fenn, head of volunteering at the BHF, said: “Volunteering over the Christmas period is a fantastic way to give back to your local community and be part of a fantastic team.

"You’ll also be helping us to raise vital funds for research into beating heart and circulatory diseases, including heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia.”

Whether enlisting for a one off or for a few festive shifts, volunteers can sign up by popping into their local branch at a time that suits them.

Linda added: “Each year heart and circulatory diseases kill around 17,000 people in Scotland and currently 700,000 people in the country are living with these conditions.

"It’s essential that we continue to accelerate research into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat them.

"Without the generosity of our shop volunteers we wouldn’t be able to fund much of this life saving work.”