AN Old Kilpatrick resident is finally retired as a champion for the elderly - after trying and failing to step away for more than a decade.

Sheena Glass MBE just celebrated turning 78 and will step down as chief executive of Glasgow Old People's Welfare Association at the end of this month.

The charity has been providing meals, day trips, advice and companionship for pensioners for more than 70 years, with Sheena involved for more than half that time.

"Every three years, each chairman would say, will you stay for my three years and it just's gone on." she said.

"I'm looking forward to it now. At first it was quite difficult and they haven't got anyone to replace me yet but I think they thought I would change my mind."

Sheena, who was born in Springboig, went for a job as a clerical assistant with the charity, based in Sandyford Place, 37 years ago when her sons were at school.

She says: "I've always loved people. I've been lucky. It's very easy to work with old people. They appreciate the littlest thing you do.

"My mother would never go to a day centre. However, she did go and it was such a turning point.

"It gave my sister something too.

"I think we probably do a lot more for them now simply because they are living so much longer. It was 65-year-olds who were coming to us when I started. Now it's 90 and most of them are in their own homes.

"The biggest problem for families now, is a lot of them are overseas. It was good when they were building all the new houses but they were separating people too.

"We are seeing a lot more of dementia now. People didn't use to talk about it. It's a struggle for carers. Our officers go out to help the carers.

"If we can take their mother, father, aunt, uncle or neighbour, it gives the carer a day off.

"We struggle very much for funds. A lot of the grant making trusts, I used to go out to speak to them and we would have a cheque the next week. But not now."

Sheena's answers are peppered with warm anecdotes and laughter. She laughs a lot, despite enduring personal tragedy with the loss of a son and a grandchild in the space of two years.

Her youngest son, Jeremy, collapsed and died at the age of 37 just over a year after the death of his son, Jack, a twin, who died at age of three due to complications after having transplant surgery as a baby

She said: "About 16 months after Jack died, Jeremy went to buy something for his twin, Georgia, and just collapsed.

"They say you can't die of a broken heart but I think you can.

"He just thought his wee boy would survive.

"They said he wouldn't walk, he wouldn't talk, he wouldn't go to nursery and he did all three.

"But after the transplant, his resistance was low and he went to nursery and there was chicken pox.

"It was inevitable. Georgia is now 20, July 7, the same date as me."

Her retirement goal is to travel to the most northern reaches of Scotland with her "house husband" Billy, 74.

She said of her colleagues and friends: "I love them all. I'll miss them. I'll miss them more than they miss me. I'm proud that I've made so many friends. I feel that they like me and that's important to me."