Staff at an Ardrossan firm raised over £1,000 for the Ayrshire Hospice in memory of their dear friend and colleague.

Lesley Loader, a manager at BPO Collections Ltd, passed away at the hospice at the age of 53 after a battle with cancer.

In tribute to Lesley, her colleagues have decided to take on a fundraiser for the Ayrshire Hospice every year.

Their most recent event for the charity was a sponsored walk around Millport, which raised an impressive £1,076.37.

The staff at BPO Collections last week presented hospice representatives with the cheque.

Catherine Swan from BPO Collections Ltd told the Herald: “Lesley passed away on 13 April, 2017, and she was looked after by the hospice.

“She had been going as a patient to the day centre for maybe about a year and then when it got to that stage she became a resident. She was there for maybe two months.

“She was well liked so there was a lot of sadness when she passed.

“She was caring, very generous, and very direct with her work colleagues but in a good way.

“As a manager, she was very supportive of her staff.”