Renfrewshire Provost rewards inspirational community members

Renfrewshire has honoured local groups and volunteers for their work in the community at the Provost's Community Awards.

Article Source: Renfrewshire Council
Last Updated: 26 March 2024 13:14

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron was joined by comperè Jed McCabe to help celebrate the achievements of devoted community members who go above and beyond to make Renfrewshire a better place to live and work.

The award winners were invited to a special ceremony at the Normandy Hotel in Renfrew after being chosen from outstanding nominations submitted by their peers in the local community.

On the night guests were entertained by young people from Starlight Youth Music Theatre before the award ceremony got underway.

The recipients of this year’s awards were:

Sports Award (sponsored by Acre Industrial Services) – Nicole Perry
Nicole took up cycling during lockdown to help her mental health and allow her to make the most of the time allowed outdoors. She never imagined that a year and a half later she would be in France cycling the full Tour de France route as part of Cure Leukaemia’s Tour 21 Challenge. Through support from friends, family local residents and businesses Nicole was able to raise £34,000 for Cure Leukaemia, a charity very close to her heart.

Community Group (sponsored by City Gate Construction) – Youth Interventions
Youth Interventions is a young people and family focused wellbeing centre based in Linwood. As part of their support services, Youth Interventions offer two community youth groups each week, providing a safe space for young people to hang out, make friends, and be themselves without the risk of judgement. The activities each week can vary, from karaoke, playing board games, or just hanging out and watching a movie. The staff also organise trips to local attractions and fun days during the school holidays. Young people who come to the groups say Youth Interventions has helped them improve their confidence and their mental health.

Employee of the Year (sponsored by UNISON Renfrewshire) – Louise Dempsey
Louise founded Youth Interventions in 2013 from her dining room table after realising there was a gap in mental and emotional support services available for families at a local community level. As a single mum, Louise juggled her home life, studying and everything that comes with launching a new charity to ensure it would be built with the best knowledge and care. On top of running Youth Interventions, Louise is a trained psychotherapist and continues to see her own clients with a variety of needs. Louise was nominated for a Community Award by her staff who say she sees the potential in people when they don’t see it in themselves.

Community Volunteer (sponsored by Glasgow Airport Ltd) – Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown is a household name in the village of Lochwinnoch. Ronnie became involved with the 1st Lochwinnoch Boys’ Brigade as a young boy, before continuing to serve as an officer in the company for over 60 years – more than half of the company’s existence. His services to the community weren’t limited to the BB, as Ronnie was regularly seen collecting sponsorship money from local residents and businesses as he ran marathons and half marathons for various charities over the years. Ronnie has sadly had to retire from his volunteering duties but continues to pay visits to the village and to the Boys Brigade whenever his health allows. When asked about his time at BB, Ronnie says you had to harden the boys a bit, but always sent them home happy.

Arts and Culture (sponsored by Renfrewshire Council) – Caroline Gormley
Caroline believes that art is for everyone. If it’s in you, it’ll come out of you. Caroline opened Made in Paisley in 2018, building on the momentum gained from Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture. Realising that not everyone had easy access to the arts, Caroline and her partner Sandy wanted to open a space that was welcoming and would help people see that art shouldn’t be intimidating. Caroline runs a variety of art classes from the space, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds and giving them a safe space to learn, make friends, and express themselves through art. Participants in the classes also have the opportunity to see their work displayed as part of exhibitions, bolstering the confidence of students and encouraging the next generation of artists.

Provost’s Award for Outstanding Achievement – Team Up to Clean Up
Since launching in 2017, Renfrewshire’s Team Up to Clean Up campaign has gone from strength to strength, growing an online community of over 5000 members and over 1700 volunteers of all ages who regularly take part in litter picks in their local area. The one thing all volunteers have in common is a sense of civic pride and the will to make a difference in their communities. Team Up to Clean Up also work with local secondary schools to encourage behavioural change in pupils when it comes to lunchtime litter, and speak to primary school pupils about the environment, recognising that young people are key to long term sustainable change.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron said: “There’s so much fantastic work going on throughout Renfrewshire and the Community Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate those who continue to go above and beyond without looking for reward or recognition.

“The winners were nominated by their own communities and it’s an honour to reward them for their dedication and commitment.

“This year it was my honour to introduce a new award – the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. I love reading the nominations that come in every year and wanted to select one winner across all award categories that really stood out. I hope this will become a tradition that future Provost’s will also follow.

“Congratulations to all our winners, your hard work does not go unnoticed.”

The Provost’s Community Awards were first established in 1997 by former Provost Nancy Allison and have been continued by each subsequent Provost, recognising more than 100 deserving community members for their commitment and devotion.

For more information on the Provost’s Community Awards, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/provostawards