Inspirational Inverclyde Award Winners 2024
Young charity champion Leah Canning has once again turned the spotlight on the inspirational people of Inverclyde with her glittering awards.
The 23-year-old university student from Greenock, who has devoted her young life to helping others after battling her own health problems, launched the Inspirational Inverclyde Awards back in 2019.
This time round she recognised more young people, citizens, organisations and charities who go above and beyond for their own communities.
Inspirational Inverclyde also supported one of their winners, local charity Home Start Inverclyde, with a donation on the night.
Leah, who lives in McLeod Street in Greenock, said: "It was such a brilliant night and it is fantastic to be able to honour all these amazing people.
"This is our fourth Inspirational Inverclyde awards and it keeps getting better and better. Everyone had such a great time.
"There was not a dry eye in the room by the end of the night it was really special.
"We will definitely be back again next year."
The awards ceremony, held in the Clyde Suite, saw 10 categories and a clutch of winners.
Home Start Inverclyde took one of the top prizes, 'charity of the year', for their work with families with young children.
Leah, who was born premature and suffered from complex health difficulties including hypermobility, said:
"The charity is fantastic and we are honoured to support them. They do the most fantastic work."
They were awarded £500 towards their work.
Leah who is now studying business and mentors other students at Glasgow Caledonian University, was a volunteer in the community from a young age, winning beauty pageant titles and raising thousands of pounds for good causes.
The judges were ICC President Lizzy Todd, Inverkip Marina’s Managing Director, Gavin McDonagh and well-known businessman Andrew Bowman of Bowman Rebecchi, who had a difficult job on their hands.
The main award on the night was the Canning Memorial, in memory of Leah's gran, also Leah, and her nan Margaret.
It was won by Kristin Hamill, who survived sepsis and kidney failure and whose story has been covered extensively by the Tele in recent years, most recently to mark Organ and Tissue Donation Week at the end of September.
Kristin's brother Brendan, who donated a kidney to his sister, was chosen as the Inverclyde Citizen of the Year.
The Young Citizen prize went to Carsyn Cummings and the 'FUNdraising Inverclyde Kids' group, while May Hughes was named as the senior citizen award winner.
The 'community organisation' prize, sponsored by Xcite Activity Play Centre, went to the Inverclyde ASN Parent and Carer Group, while Helen Coyle was chosen as winner of the Inspirational Community Contribution prize and Wullie Carter was named Inspirational Community Volunteer.
Leah added: "I'd like to thank all our sponsors, supporters and also the Clyde Suite for all their fantastic support."