Renfrewshire Council

Sports Award (sponsored by ACRE Industrial Services)

Winner: Nicole Perry

Nicole took up cycling during lockdown to help her mental health and allow her to make the most of time spent outdoors. She never imagined that a year and a half later she would be 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)

Winner: 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.

Arts and Culture (sponsored by Renfrewshire Council)

Winner: 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 to anyone. 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.

Community Volunteer (sponsored by Glasgow Airport Ltd)

Winner: Ronnie Brown

Ronnie Brown is a household name in the village of Lochwinnoch. Ronnie became involved with the 1^st 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 he always wanted to work the boys hard, but send them home happy.

Employee of the Year (sponsored by UNISON Renfrewshire)

Winner: 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.

Provost's Award for Outstanding Achievement

Winner: 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.  

2024 award sponsors

The Community Group award is sponsored by City Gate Construction and celebrates the organisations in Renfrewshire that have a positive effect on their communities.

Sponsored by Glasgow Airport, the Community Volunteer award recognises those who give their time and effort for nothing more than the knowledge that they are making a difference to their community.

Perennial award sponsor Acre Industrial will present the Sports Award which recognises individuals or groups who have achieved success in competition as a competitor or a coach, or have used sport as a tool for health and wellbeing.

Employee of the Year is sponsored by UNISON and encourages nominations for employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for their employer.

The Arts and Culture award has been created, sponsored by Renfrewshire Council, which seeks out the hidden, or not so hidden, gems who light up Renfrewshire's cultural scene.

The Provost's Award for Outstanding Achievement was created by Provost Lorraine Cameron, to recognise one nomination out of all categories who have gone above and beyond for their community.