A WEST Kilbride grandfather named as a British Empire Medal (BEM) recipient in the King's birthday honours has decided to donate £10,000 to a fund-raising campaign with a close link to the village.
Jonathan Miller was recognised in the honours list, published at the weekend, for his charity work in Scotland.
Mr Miller set up the Jonathan Cartmell Miller Charitable Trust to provide funding for care and support to vulnerable children and adults, primarily based in Scotland, and across the UK.
Last year he sold his firm, Central Car Auctions, to the well-known Arnold Clark Group.
The trust has the 'aim of improving the quality of life for those in poverty and suffering from acute illness; and relieve those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage, in particular children and those requiring end of life care'.
And we can reveal that the Trust is handing over a £10,000 donation to the campaign to get Ayrshire lad Calum Rae the potentially life-saving treatment he needs.
Calum lives with his parents Victoria and Andrew in Troon, but Victoria is originally from Dalry and works as a teacher at West Kilbride Primary School.
Calum was diagnosed with stage M high-risk neuroblastoma earlier this year.
His family has launched a fund-raiser in the hope of attracting donations to take them to the £250,000 they need to travel to the United States for surgery.
Mr Miller told the News he was humbled to be named in the honours list and said it was a 'great surprise'.
The 71-year-old said: "I am absolutely delighted. It is fantastic to be recognised in this way.
"Long before I started up the foundation, I have been giving donations to charity through my business, Central Car Auctions in Glasgow.
"I recently sold it to Arnold Clark, having been involved in the business for 55 years.
"I started when I was 15 years of age as an office junior and working my way up to director.
"It was my father who initially set up the business in Glasgow in 1963, but he died two years later, and my mother then took it over in partnership with another company."
Mr Miller was born in Springburn in Glasgow, and recently celebrated 10 years of marrage to his wife Allana, who hails from West Kilbride.
He moved to the village 13 years ago and says he loves living by the coast and going out for seaside walks.
Central Car Auctions has given to numerous charities over the years, including annual donations of £10,000 to Radio Clyde's Cash for Kids campaign, amounting to £1.2m in total to charitable causes.
And two years ago, the couple took the decision to set up the charitable trust which has benefitted a long list of charities.
Charities to have received donations from the Trust so far include Ayrshire Hospice, the Erskine veterans charity, St Andrew's Hospice - where Jonathan has a room named after him, as well as a plaque - and Debra, the charity set up to help people with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as 'butterfly skin'.
The couple are regular contributors to the local food bank, and recently purchased 83 pairs of trainers for children in need.
Jonathan said: "The charitable trust was set up while I was still involved in Central Car Auctions but since I have retired I have carried it on and put my own personal money into the charity, and it has been a great success, benefitting so many.
"It is special to be recognised for my charity work in the official honours list, and very humbling."
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