HARLAWHILL Day Centre attendees will have their life stories turned into songs after the Prestonpans facility was awarded £7,500.

The money, awarded as part of Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect initiative, will also help send the centre’s elderly attendees on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The centre provides elderly and vulnerable people with day care which aims to help them remain independent in their homes for as long as possible.

The team uses a specially adapted bus to provide transport from the centre to attendees’ homes, and provides social contact and stimulation in a social surrounding.

The funding will send all of the centre’s attendees on a summer outing, as well as helping to activate a new project where a professional musician will work with the patrons, listen to their life stories and then write and record it all into songs.

Fiona Mitchell, day centre manager, said: “We’re overjoyed to have been awarded Community Connect funding.

“We’re so grateful to all the Scotmid members who voted for us and are giving us the opportunity to take all of the centre’s attendees, some of whom are socially isolated, on a day trip.

“It was a project that we never thought would become a reality, but the Community Connect funding will now enable us to make it happen.

“We’re right at the heart of the Prestonpans community and this funding will make a memorable difference to everyone who attends the centre.”

The Scotmid initiative sees money raised from the sale of plastic bags go towards good cause groups in the community.

The day centre has won a slice of £25,000 generated from such sales.

Scotmid shoppers collected votes by swiping their Community Connect cards after every in-store purchase and then voted for their preferred group.

Harry Cairney, president of Scotmid Co-operative, said: “Congratulations to Harlawhill Day Care Centre from my hometown of Prestonpans and all the Community Connect award winners.

“This was a milestone event – the first-ever Community Connect awards in Scotmid’s East Region, and the vote was extremely close, so thanks to all our members who helped to determine the outcome.

“Our core purpose is to serve our local communities and improve people’s everyday lives and Community Connect goes towards enabling us to achieve those goals.

“We very much look forward to seeing these projects come to life and working together to improve the quality of life for people in our local communities.”