The Peter Vardy automotive retailing group has donated £18,000 worth of food to foodbanks local to its dealerships.

Each of its twelve sites donated £1500 to local foodbanks where volunteers helped to distribute it to people in crisis over the Christmas period.

Director of Anderston Community Action and the Peter Vardy Chaplain, Martyn Bellshaw, said: "Food poverty is a massive problem and the company's wish is to provide practical help for people in immediate need.

"Our key aim is to support local communities and make a difference - transforming lives, transforming communities. We are supporting local bodies which provide a strong local service for people in need."

The group’s chief executive, Peter Vardy, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Entrepreneurial Scotland awards in November 2014, has fostered a culture within the company of meaningful charitable activity.

The group devotes 10% of its profits annually to worthwhile community enterprises, allowing it to beneficially affect lives across Scotland. Recent beneficiaries have included Children in Need, Teen Challenge, MacMillan Coffee Morning, Christian Aid and Living Below the Line.