Big hearted Ayrshire bus firm goes the extra mile and unveils the Teddy Bear Express for children this Christmas

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ayrshire bus firm Stagecoach West Scotland welcomed some furry customers on board its 43A service to Annbank this week - as the operator made a special delivery to the Night Before Christmas Campaign.

Employees across each of the seven West Scotland depots have been making donations and pledges to fill a single-decker bus, including 500 limited edition Stagecoach teddy bears, selection boxes, and 100s of little red bags of joy.The donations are designed to bring some festive cheer to children and young people this Christmas.

Drop-off hubs were set up at Ayr and Kilmarnock bus stations, with members of the public also encouraged to donate anything they could.

Fiona Doherty, managing director, Stagecoach West Scotland, said: "This year, we are focusing on the gift of giving; our generous employees from across our local depots have donated hundreds of gifts and pledges to the Night Before Christmas Campaign."Through this year's Little Red Bags of Joy campaign, the charity aims to support at least 10,000 families.Jodie McFarland, from the Night Before Christmas, said: "With the cost-of-living crisis getting worse, families are really going to struggle this year and make difficult choices between gifts or heating.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android."We've seen a massive increase in our referrals, and we are on a mission to give out 10,000 bags of joy this year."We were