The 12th Annual Positive About Youth (PAY) Awards took place on Thursday, 7th November 2024, at the Normandy Hotel in Renfrew. As always, it was a fantastic event, bringing everyone together to celebrate the achievements of young people and their contributions to our communities. Click on the Award names to learn more about the winners and shortlisted nominees.
Thank you to everyone who came along or nominated. Every person and group is fantastic and a great example of what young people can achieve and contribute.
The Ferran Hart Young Artist Award (Sponsored by Young Scot)
Winner: Right2Dance ⭐
Shortlisted: Finlay Pirie
The Youth Group of the Year Award (Sponsored by Renfrewshire Council Youth Services)
Winner: Barnardo’s Steering Group ⭐
Shortlisted: Renfrewshire West Partnership Ambassadors, Express Yourself (Impact Arts)
The Volunteer of the Year Award (Sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire)
Winner: Chloe McConville ⭐
Shortlisted: Beth Wotherspoon, Lewis McVey
The Eilish Herron Young Sports Person Award (Sponsored by Paisley Radio)
Winner: Erin Corner ⭐
Shortlisted: Olivia Hutchinson, Abbie Kerr
The Alan Cruickshanks Eco Award (Sponsored by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award)
Winner: Erskine Climate Change Champions ⭐
Shortlisted: Aiden Irvine
The Forging Your Own Path Award (Sponsored by The Scottish Youth Parliament)
Winner: Taylor Quigley ⭐
Shortlisted: Evolve New Scots Group, Linwood High Positive Masculinity Group
The Unsung Hero Award
Winner: Lucy Main ⭐
Shortlisted: Karisse Lavelle, Jake Gilchrist
The event was run by Renfrewshire Youth Voice and supported by Renfrewshire Council’s Youth Services.
Here is some more information about the winners and shortlisted nominees.
Ferran Hart Young Artist Award
About Right2dance ⭐
Young dancers recently took part in the ‘Get Creative’ choreography project, supported by the Celebrating Renfrewshire fund. They engaged in workshops to devise their own pieces, choosing themes and music, showcasing creativity and teamwork. After preparing for a performance, they shared their work with friends, family, and younger Right2dance members at Johnstone Town Hall. This experience included learning about rehearsals, lighting, and costumes. Notably, a participant from the Move It class played drums, enhancing the performance with live music for two dancers.
About Finlay Pirie
Finlay is an essential part of the dance club, volunteering every Thursday to lead the team with his talent and passion for dance. Under his guidance, they created a pom routine that earned 3rd place at the Scottish Schools Cheerleading Competition and 1st at the Renfrewshire Dance Competition. Finlay coordinated hair, makeup, and costumes, ensuring every detail was perfect. His dedication and leadership inspired the team, fostering a strong sense of teamwork and determination.
Youth Group of the Year Award
About The Barnardo’s Steering Group ⭐
For over a year, the Steering Group, consisting of 5-6 young people, has shaped the Barnardo’s service. They’ve organised activities like Halloween and Christmas parties, fostering community spirit. Additionally, they’ve worked with groups like the Trussell Trust to tackle issues relevant to young people in Renfrewshire. This dedicated group of young mums meets monthly, supporting others and making a positive impact on young people in Renfrewshire, especially for young mums and expectant mothers.
About Renfrewshire West Partnership Ambassadors
Renfrewshire West Partnership Ambassadors work to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers by raising awareness and reducing stigma. Recognising prevalent stereotypes in the area, they researched ways to help these communities feel welcome. Collaborating with Youth Services Trainees, the Evolve Programme, and ESOL groups, they developed a presentation on the challenges refugees face and the support available. Their next steps include creating resources like a self-care guide for young refugees, an animated video to address stigma, and lesson plans to challenge negative perceptions.
About Express Yourself – Impact Arts
Before joining the project, many young people were anxious about meeting new people. They’ve since made progress, forming friendships over shared interests like fossils and gemstones, even bringing in their collections to share. One participant, who had been anxious, recently travelled to the city centre for the first time and expressed her gratitude to the group. An older member has also become a mentor, offering support and even helping an older person with luggage at Paisley Gilmour Street. Their growth and support for each other have been truly inspiring.
Volunteer of the Year Award – Sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire
About Chloe McConville ⭐
Chloe is an exceptional volunteer who has transformed the lives of the children she works with. As an Active Schools volunteer at Park Mains HS, she has dedicated over 330 hours to providing exciting opportunities for primary school children through clubs and health weeks. Recently, she received a recognition hoodie for her involvement in OneRen’s holiday camps and the Paisley 10k Road Race. Chloe continues to challenge herself, training with a local sports club while balancing schoolwork.
About Beth Wotherspoon
Beth has been an outstanding volunteer with the Brownies for the past three years, progressing from Young Leader to Leader in Training. She dedicates her evenings and weekends to supporting young girls in building confidence. Beyond the Brownies, Beth has volunteered at both local and national levels, serving as a Young Advisor for the CashBack for Communities project and organising events for Young Leaders in Glasgow. Despite facing personal challenges with ASD and dyslexia, she creates an inclusive environment, demonstrating patience and creativity.
About Lewis McVey
Lewis began volunteering at the Tannahill Centre in 2022 and has made remarkable progress. Initially involved in organising events, he later took the lead in planning monthly open mic nights. Recently, Lewis started providing vocal coaching at the music club, encouraging young children and helping build their confidence. His dedication to community work makes him a valued asset to the Tannahill Centre.
Eilish Herron Young Sports Person Award
About Erin Corner ⭐
Since 2018, Erin has volunteered with Active Schools, focusing on gymnastics and dance. A former pupil of Johnstone High School and an RSSE Graduate, she now works as a paid coach while continuing to volunteer at events. With over 500 volunteer hours, Erin’s enthusiasm and commitment have earned her praise from parents and the community.
About Olivia Hutchison
Olivia is a passionate young leader dedicated to her school community. As one of 13 Netball Scotland Ambassadors, she works to grow the sport nationwide and leads netball clubs in primary schools. Olivia frequently volunteers at Active Schools events and recently received the ‘Contribution to Sport’ award at Renfrew High School’s sports dinner in June 2024.
About Abbie Kerr
Abbie has volunteered for over two years, running dance sessions and coaching young dancers. She has accumulated more than 300 volunteer hours and has made a positive impact as the Young Sports Ambassador at Linwood High, motivating peers and organising events.
Alan Cruickshanks Eco Award
About Renfrewshire Climate Change Champions ⭐
This group of 10 young people excelled in Climate Change initiatives for 2023-24, running eco workshops and supporting biodiversity. The Climate Champions formed a committee to manage a bank account, apply for grants, and track fundraising. They should be proud of their leadership and achievements.
About Aiden Irvine
Aiden is dedicated to keeping the West College Scotland Paisley campus clean and actively promotes recycling. Although sustainability isn’t his core subject, his efforts have sparked conversations about using reusable bottles. Aiden’s commitment has positively impacted those around him.
Forging Your Own Path Award
About Taylor Quigley ⭐
Taylor faced challenges in S3/S4, becoming disengaged, but with strong family and school support, he turned his life around. Taylor’s hard work led him to achieve 6 Highers, and he is now studying Law at Edinburgh University. His resilience and determination show he has a bright future ahead.
About Evolve New Scots
Established in July 2024, the Evolve New Scots group supports Ukrainian refugee youth, helping them adapt to Scottish culture, learn English, and transition into education or employment. They meet weekly to support each other and plan ways to assist others in their community.
About Linwood High Positive Masculinity Group
This group promotes positive masculinity, working with artist Tragic Ohara on a mural design to be displayed at their school. Each member has shown maturity in discussing challenging topics like gender-based violence.
Unsung Hero Award
About Lucy Main ⭐
Lucy faces chronic health challenges with incredible positivity. Despite life-changing injuries from PoTS, she raises awareness through her Instagram page and community initiatives. This summer, she organised a PoTS awareness day at her school and encouraged her dad to run a marathon for the cause.
About Karisse Lavelle
Karisse has overcome many hardships and has actively advocated for her right to maintain contact with her siblings. Now in college, she has met with social work organisations to share her experiences, determined to advocate for others.
About Jake Gilchrist
Jake faced challenges with focus but found purpose helping a janitor fix things around school, and later took on the role of managing a bike repair program. Jake now leads this initiative, providing bike maintenance and creating a space for students facing similar struggles.