GLASGOW teacher Neil Brownlee agreed to support his nephew's fundraising drive at a family birthday party – and ended up cycling around Scotland.

The 55-year-old from Jordanhill is part of a team visiting every Maggie's Centre across the country, and they started off at Maggie's Gartnavel in the West End.

He said: "Everyone knows about Maggie's, and the great work the centres do in looking after people affected by cancer, and their friends and families.

"At the weekend I got chatting to my nephew, Andrew, at a family get-together, and he said he and his colleagues were going to do a 350-mile bike ride round Scotland.

"I was delighted to help out – anything we can do to help Maggie's continue its fantastic work is worth it.

"I said I would do part of the route, as I'm supposed to be going on holiday, but now that I'm here I think I will do the lot.

"My wife has agreed to pick me up somewhere near Inverness in a few days' time and we can carry on our holiday then."

Neil's nephew Andrew Connelly decided to take on the bike ride challenge in a bid to raise funds for Monty's Maggie's Appeal, an initiative led by golfer Colin Montgomerie to build a new Maggie's Centre in Aberdeen.

Andrew, along with colleagues from subsea technology company Nautronix, has helped to raise around £25,000 so far.

Evening Times readers raised more than £1.2million to build Glasgow's first Maggie's Centre in 2002 at the Gatehouse at the Western Infirmary.

There are another five centres in Scotland in Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Fife.

Tomorrow, Maggie's Gartnavel is hosting its first garden party for families and friends.

Fundraising organiser Julie Ionta said: "I can't wait for Saturday because I know it will be a fantastic day for all the family.

"Our hope is that everyone has a great time, but of course it is also a chance for people to experience Maggie's for the first time, get an idea about what it is we do here and have a look around our amazing building.

"Everyone is welcome and there is no charge so it is the perfect day out."

Maggie's Gartnavel garden party will run tomorrow from noon to 4pm. For more information call 0141 330 9791.