North Ayrshire Athletics Club, Saltcoats, Winner of Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - 2016

The Lord Lieutenant is pleased to announce that a voluntary group, North Ayrshire Athletics Club, based in Saltcoats, and which works in the community to provide a wide range of athletics activities in the area of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston, has been honoured with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award that a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

The Club is a volunteer run group dedicated to providing specialist support across a wide range of sporting activities including long jump, shot putt, javelin, hammer, sprinting, long distance running, and hurdles. It is open to all age groups, and has seen a huge increase in the number of participants over the last eighteen months. The Club has transformed the lives of both members and volunteers, as well as making an important contribution to the local community.

North Ayrshire Athletics Club is one of 193 charities, social enterprises,and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards given to groups this year is slightly higher than last year showing that the voluntary sector is thriving a full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges. Award winners this year range from a War Memorial Community Trust, providing social facilities for the benefit of the community in Clawed, Wales, to North Ayrshire Athletics Club who enhance the community by developing individuals through athletics. The Awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the winners are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.

Blair Pettigrew, the Chairman and Founder of North Ayrshire Athletics Club will attend the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace on 5th July where he will meet Her Majesty The Queen and other winners of this year's award. The Club will receive the Award at a formal presentation by HM Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, John Duncan Esq. QPM later this summer.

Mr Duncan said:

I am delighted that North Ayrshire Athletics Club has received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. The wider community greatly benefits from having such an inclusive and welcoming club at its heart. The impact of the Club is huge. In addition to the athletics success they have achieved, it has transformed the lives of all who are involved. Members have had new opportunities opened to them and volunteers have found a very real and worthwhile focus for their energies.

Blair Pettigrew said:

I am honoured that the Club has been recognised with this prestigious award. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the many volunteers who give their time week in week out to help support the large number of members we have attracted to the club. I am delighted to see the difference that volunteering has made to members of the local community.

Applications are now being invited for the 2017 round of Awards. Further details are available on who is eligible and the application process on the Awards section of this website. Please have a look and do not hesitate to nominate any voluntary group that you feel may merit an award.