Grangemouth man's wooden wonders help coin in over £10,000 for Strathcarron Hospice

Malcolm – known as Malky – Finlayson, 72, has been using his handy man skills to craft the creations in the back garden of his home in Brooke Street for most of the year.

He raised a ton of cash for the hospice earlier in the year after constructing almost 200 planters and since August he has been hard at work creating and selling his wooden Christmas trees to raise a further £5440 for the Denny charity.

Malky said: “That makes a total of £10,610 I've managed to raise since last November. I wouldn’t have been able to raise such an amazing amount without the help of some local firms and my neighbours.

“To all who bought the Christmas trees, thank you – once again Strathcarron Hospice is the winner.”

Strathcarron is a cause close to Malky’s heart – his brother-in-law and sister-in-law were both looked after by Strathcarron at the end of their lives.

Malky said: "There’s not a person in this area who hasn’t had contact with someone who has been helped by the hospice, whether it’s a relative, friends or work mates.”

Married to Isabel for 49 years – the couple celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in March – Malky worked as a handyman and then a fire and safety officer at ICI in Grangemouth for 29 years, before spending the rest of his official working life with a local plumbing firm.

"I’ve had more comebacks than Frank Sinatra,” he told The Falkirk Herald earlier in the year said, referring to the times he was asked to come out of retirement to help others out.

Although he is basically a one-man manufacturing marvel, Malky has received help from lots of friends and local businesses.

He said: “A big thanks to Ailsa Roofing, Rinus Roofing Supplies, MGM Timber, IBT Builders Merchants, Tracy and Logan, Janice and Davy and as always my glamorous assistant Bella.”