Meet the contenders for Glasgow's Community Champion Awards

Voting has now closed for the city-wide categories, and today we can reveal the finalists in those sections who will attend the gala dinner on December 8. The winners will be announced on the night.

The Glasgow Times awards, in association with Glasgow City Council, Wheatley Glasgow, Trades House of Glasgow and Merck, celebrate everything that is great about the city and its people.

The finalists for the Public Service Award are Youth Initiatives Scotland, who run outreach activities for young people in Barmulloch; Men Matter Scotland, who run a variety of initiatives to support men’s mental health and Glasgow's Golden Generation, which supports the city’s older people with befriending, digital support, day care and more.

The Uniformed Services Award contenders include Willie Anderson and Scott Diamond of the Scottish Ambulance Service, who rescued more than 20 people after an explosion in a takeaway; and Thomas McCallum and Courtney Elaine Braceline, also of Scottish Ambulance Service, who saved the life of a 26-year-old football fan when he suffered a cardiac arrest at an Old Firm game.

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Also in the running for the Uniformed Services Award are PC Natalie Pollock, whose detective skills and determination led to the return of stolen community art in the Gorbals; Queen Elizabeth University Hospital police campus officers who support staff, run security initiatives and go above and beyond to help patients and workers; and the Glasgow South Campus Officers who work with pupils, parents and the communities of five high schools in Govan and Pollok, running initiatives and summer programmes.

Megan McCloskey (Image: Newsquest)

The Young Award finalists are inspirational schoolgirl Kodie Stewart, who spoke as part of a young women’s initiative as part of COP26; Emmanuel Gebreyes, a sixth year pupil who raised funds to donate 200 football kits to children in developing countries; and Megan McCloskey, a straight A student from Castlemilk who is the first from her school to go to Oxford University.

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The finalists in the Sport Award are Castlemilk Community Football, Glasgow Gals Cycling Club and Sparta Trampoline Club.

Castlemilk Community Football, formerly Barlia Pitches Matter, provide free football camps at a centre they successfully fought to keep open when it was facing closure.

Glasgow Gals Cycling Club (Image: Glasgow Gals Cycling Club)

Glasgow Gals run cycle rides for women of all ages and abilities, including many who are keen to get back on their bikes after 30 or more years. The social side is as important as the cycling, with days out and winter activities also included, and the club also runs bike maintenance workshops.

Sparta Trampoline Club helps almost 500 young people stay active and healthy through a mix of pre-school, competitive, recreational and young adult classes in a safe and friendly environment.

Sparta Trampoline Club (Image: Newsquest)

The 2022 School of the Year finalists include Haghill Park Primary School and Nursery Class, whose entertaining choir dazzled locals at Christmas, spreading festive spirit and bringing joy back to the community; and Shawlands Primary, for its sustainable transport initiative the Shawlands Bike Bus.

Shawlands Bike Bus in action (Image: Newsquest)

Also in the running for the School Award are inclusion champions St Albert’s Primary, who produced a book challenging the diversity of characters in children’s books; and Lochend Community School, which takes great pride in its role at the heart of the Easterhouse community.