Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland had to close almost 40 shops as the Beast bit

A Scots charity is making an urgent appeal for donations to its shops after suffering a £50,000 loss of income because of the Beast from the East.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland's (CHSS) 39 shops closed their doors or suffered severe disruption during last week’s snowy weather, meaning the public were unable to buy items or donate vital stock.

Jay Hogarty, CHSS’s director of retail and trading, says it’s the biggest loss of income he’s seen during his time with the charity.

He said: “I’ve worked with CHSS for almost a decade, and I’ve never known our shops to lose so much in such a short space of time.

“Like many other charities and businesses, the terrible weather has had a huge impact. We need this income to support people to live the lives they want to lead after a stroke or diagnosis of a chest or heart condition.

“So now we’re asking the Scottish public to help.

“We urgently need people to donate stock to our shops, especially womenswear, accessories and collectables.”

To make a donation drop into your local shop, find your nearest store here.

CHSS's appeal comes after Marie Curie admitted it lost at least £25k after the Beast struck.

However, Scotland's third sector fought back, with a range of organisations and individuals doing everything they could to help communities cope.