Awards will salute caring youngsters

Yo u n g people in Renfrewshire who are dedicated to helping better their community are set to be honoured at an awards ceremony.

Organised by charity Renfrewshire Youth Voice, the Positive About Youth (PAY) Awards will mark the achievements of those who go the extra mile.

The organisation — which is run by young people, for young people — have 11 categories to celebrate including Volunteer of the Year, Unsung Hero, Young and Fundraiser of the Year.

There are also honours available for contributions to art, sport and the environment at the ceremony, which is set to take place in the coming months.

Now in its ninth year, the event celebrates the success of the Renfrewshire youth charity which was formed in the early noughties.

And members are calling for nominations of young people they feel should be rewarded for their efforts.

Chairman of the group Adrian McKechnie said: “These awards show that young people are a valuable asset to our community and highlighting all that is to be positive about youth.

“We want to celebrate all that they do and these awards themselves show what people can do if they put their minds to it as it has been running successfully for nine years.

“We want to encourage people to nominate anyone they think deserves to be celebrated for what they do in the community.”

Renfrewshire Youth Voice is dedicated to helping young people become more involved in decisions made in the community.

Alongside other organisations such as Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Youth Parliament, Education Scotland and YoungScot, RYV works to help young people participate in their local area.

They aim to collaborate with organisations in the best interests of young people while also helping to develop life skills and improve self-esteem.

Adrian, who has been involved in the group for three years, added: “I have the pleasure of working with a group of amazing young people who take an active role in giving other young people a voice about the things that concern and matter to them most.

“It’s all about making connections with other organisations and being involved in the decision making processes as much as possible.”

For a full list of categories, or to make a nomination, go to https:// www. ryv. org. uk/ positive- aboutyouth-awards/

We want to encourage people to nominate anyone they think deserves to be celebrated