BIG-HEARTED Clydebank residents who champion their community have found themselves as finalists for the upcoming Provost’s Civic Awards.

The awards, which run annually to showcase West Dunbartonshire’s heroes who go the extra mile to overcome life’s challenges and help those around them, will be held digitally this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s nominations for the five categories were received from grateful friends, colleagues, neighbours and family members who wanted to highlight the person or group for their significant contribution.

In the community/voluntary champion individual section, council joiner Drew Smith from Clydebank, who saved a man from the brink of suicide and has since remained in contact with him as friends, has been nominated.

In the youth champion section, local youngster and Member of Scottish Youth Parliament Hayley Paku and Drumry’s Mollie-Rose Shields, who delivered hundreds of Easter eggs to the Clydebank community, have both been nominated for their contributions.

Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels, West Dunbartonshire Youth Council and the support team for the Children’s Hearings system in West Dunbartonshire have all been selected as finalists in the community/voluntary champions team section.

For the sports champion category, Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland – a charity which provides social and physical activities to older adults has been nominated.

Provost Hendrie said: “I am so thankful to our residents who took the time to highlight these exceptional people for an award. Every nomination we received was worthy of recognition and praise for their hard work, which made choosing these finalists a very difficult task.

"Their selflessness and kindness will no doubt have made a huge difference to the lives of many in our communities during what is undoubtedly one of the most challenging years in recent history.

“It is their commitment, devotion and drive which gives the rest of us hope and reminds us how important it is to look out for one another.”

The finalists will each receive a letter from Provost William Hendrie, with overall winners, including the Citizen of the Year, announced in a video presentation.