East Renfrewshire additional needs group receives Queen’s Award

ERA (East Renfrewshire Additional Support Needs Parents Action Group) has been announced as a recipient of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

ERA, a group of volunteers based in Barrhead and throughout East Renfrewshire, have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

ERA provides clubs and support for additional support needs young people and their families and carers.

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It is an inclusive group operating within East Renfrewshire.

Presently ERA runs groups for juniors and teens, and holds parent support meetings and hosts various training opportunities locally.

Representatives from ERA will attend a garden party at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in July, along with other recipients of this year’s award.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.

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It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Winners are announced each year on June 2 – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteers helping people overcome mental health problems through sport, volunteers using caravans as mobile cafe/information centres in geographically remote locations and another group mentoring children who have a parent in prison.

Oonagh McKinnon, ERA’s chairman, said: “I am delighted that the hard work and dedication of all our families and volunteers has been recognised in this way.

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“ERA has grown in a short space of time to be an invaluable part of the local community and, more importantly, to help our young people and families become more confident in feeling part of that community.

“It is certainly a time to celebrate together and look forward to expanding our role and helping more ASN young people and families.”