Renfrewshire Council’s Youth Services has been shortlisted for a national award for its work tackling gender-based violence.
The Youth Services team is up for Community Group of the Year in the Scottish Women’s Awards 2025. The category recognises groups making a meaningful impact in their communities through support, empowerment, and advocacy.
The awards are now in their sixth year and will take place in Glasgow on Saturday 30 August.
Members of the public can vote for their chosen finalists until Saturday 16 August on the official Scottish Women’s Awards website.
Youth Services deliver a wide range of impactful programmes for young people, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Youth Voice, support for Renfrewshire’s Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament, the EVOLVE programme, Youth Assemblies, and Promise Champions.
The team also delivers Young and Equally Safe, a long-running initiative focused on tackling gender-based violence and promoting equality. This involves organising workshops and large events, including the annual Reclaim the Night march that brings together hundreds of local people to stand against violence towards women and girls.
Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities and Housing Policy Board, said
I’m incredibly proud to see our Youth Services team recognised on a national stage for their efforts to support gender equality. Their work empowers young people to speak up, take action, and build a safer, fairer future for everyone.
I encourage everyone to show their support and vote for them in the Scottish Women’s Awards.
The Scottish Women’s Awards are run by Oceanic Events and aim to highlight the contributions of women and community groups across sectors including education, health, business, and activism.
Vote for Renfrewshire’s youth services in the Scottish Women’s Awards 2025.
Caption for cover image
From left to right: Fiona White (Health and Wellbeing Development Officer), John Trainer (Head of Child Care & Criminal Justice), Morgan Herd (YES Young Leader), Aeryn Devlin (YES Young Leader), Jackson Katz (Co-founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention), Lorraine Cameron (Renfrewshire’s Provost), Elle O’Raw (Youth Work Trainee), Fiona Taylor (Lead Officer ), Max Leitch (YES Young Leader), Janie O’Neil (Director of Children's Services), Emma Muir (Community Learning and Development Officer).