Inspirational Freya receives top honour
It all began as a small project to help her Eaglesham community in the early stages of the pandemic.
Nearly a year on and Freya Young has picked up one of the country’s top honours – a Young Scot Award.
The 23-year-old was this week given some well-deserved recognition for creating a street library containing more than 1000 donated books, DVDs, CDs, board games and jigsaws for people in Eaglesham.
Big-hearted Freya also made grocery deliveries to her fellow Eaglesham residents who were shielding during lockdown, and earlier this year launched a community larder to help people in need.
Staged as an online virtual event this year, The Young Scot Awards were held last week and streamed live via YouTube.
“Just to have been nominated was amazing, and I really didn’t expect it, so it was such a shock when my name was read out as the winner,” said Freya.
“The whole online awards event was so well done.
“I was on a Zoom call with the other finalists and it looked like the presenter Jean Johansson was in a studio.
“All the finalists were on screen and the whole thing was streamed live on YouTube too, which meant our relatives and friends could watch.
“I’m delighted with the award. This [community work] all started in May last year and I didn’t expect to be doing it almost 12 months later.”
Freya revealed that the community larder will continue longer term now after she received grant funding from the Scottish Government to buy a metal shed-like structure.
Having been supported by the local church, the larder will still sit outside the Carsewell Centre in the village and is for the local and wider community, including anyone in East Renfrewshire or people in East Kilbride within five miles of travel.