Largs residents who do their bit for the community are to be recognised this month during Volunteer Scotland’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Kenneth Gibson MSP has welcomed the work of hundreds of often unsung heroes in the area and encouraged others to support their communities.

He said: “We have a rich tapestry of Volunteer Trusteeship in Scotland and they should be recognised for their efforts and the huge benefits they contribute to North Ayrshire.

“I would encourage ‘News’ readers who want to volunteer or find out more to visit: www.volunteerscotland.org.uk” Volunteer trustees run Scotland’s Charitable Trusts and are central to supporting individuals, communities and the country. Volunteers everywhere are at the heart of Scotland’s communities, making them better places.

The Scottish Parliament took the opportunity to join the Trustees Week celebrations by endorsing the wide range of work that volunteer trustees undertake.

George Thomson, Chief Executive of Volunteer Scotland, says: “At Volunteer Scotland we recognise the vast wealth of experience that volunteer trustees bring to our communities. We are also keenly aware of the many challenges they face, with increasing workloads, demands on services and promoting a more equal Scotland. Trustees’ Week is an opportunity to thank volunteer trustees for undertaking their valuable role.

“In Scotland each year, 30% of adults give over 160 million hours of precious time in a vast range of community settings. This makes a huge difference to people, to the economy, to services and the environment.” Pledging their support for Trustees Week and Volunteer Scotland, MSPs stressed the value to local communities of greater recognition of the immense task many volunteer trustees face and pledged to help raise awareness of their volunteering throughout Scotland.

Martin Docherty, Policy Advisor at Volunteer Scotland, said: “We’re delighted with the tremendous cross party support and leadership for volunteering shown by our MSPs this year, especially as we celebrate the contribution of Scotland’s Volunteer Trustees; it’s definitely a hands up from Parliament for all they do.”