A local group who works tirelessly to benefit their community have been recognised by a national award.

Golden Friendships, an anti-loneliness charity based in Dalmuir has won 'Member Group of the Year 2024' by Age Scotland at their awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 1.

The group offers weekly lunch club, activities, fun and friendship for almost 300 older people in the Clydebank community. 

Jim McLaren, founder of the group called the award a 'great honour'.

He said: "It's a great honour and the thing that makes me the happiest is that the Golden Friendships as a unit get recognised.

"All 30 volunteers, seven members of staff and they have all helped make this possible.

"We have been able to continue delivering meals to our pensioners which gets them out of their homes and into sociable company.

"Through these lunches, friendships have developed and our members are having a lot more regular contact with other members in the same position as themselves. This may be through phone calls, visiting each other’s home or meeting out at other social events."

The charity won Member Group of the Year 2024The charity won Member Group of the Year 2024 (Image: Supplied) Jim also managed to line up a special guest for one of their next events after meeting a celeb in the elevator.

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He said: "It was a fabulous day. When it started we went into the lift and we met Glen Michael. He presented the awards and I said to him 'See the smiles you gave us can you bring it to our club.' and he said, ‘Tell me when.’"

Glen Michael, Jim McLaren, Agnes McLaren, Sharon Colvan, Agnes McLaren in an elevatorGlen Michael, Jim McLaren, Agnes McLaren, Sharon Colvan, Agnes McLaren in an elevator (Image: Supplied) Some important work undertaken by the group includes work to get accessible toilets with changing facilities installed in their venue.

This was designed to ensure that anyone who had incontinence issues could quietly go off and change, and then rejoin the group without feeling embarrassed or having to leave.

A combination of grant funding applications and a local plumber who supplied some of the fixtures and fittings at cost price results in Golden Friendships having comfortable, accessible toilets and changing facilities.

Ann Yourston, Age Scotland’s community development officer, who has visited Golden Friendships, said: “It gives me a real lift to walk through the doors and feel immediately that I am entering somewhere very special indeed.

"The atmosphere is amazing and there are always plenty of smiles and laughter from all those within, both volunteers and group members.

“The first time I visited, I joined a group of friends who had all met each other through visiting the club.

"I was straight away made to feel as if I had always been part of the group and it was really interesting and moving to hear their stories about how Golden Friendships had changed their lives for the better, giving hope and friendship to them during the dark and lonely days of lockdown.”