THE Prime Minister will today (Wednesday July 3), recognise Stuart Duffy, from Cowdenbeath, for supporting LGBT communities across Scotland, with an award at Downing Street.

Stuart, the Founder of LGBT equalities charity, Pink Saltire, will be recognised with the Prime Minister’s ‘Points of Light’ Award at a special reception this evening.

Stuart helped organise Fife’s inaugural Pride event in 2017 and has supported other communities in Aberdeen, Dundee and Perthshire to organise Pride events happening this summer. He has also embarked on a national tour of Pride festivals where he aims to reach over 50,000 people with information marking LGBT history and heritage through his charity.

He is the latest recipient of the Points of Light Award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Each week day, someone in the UK is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Stuart is the 943rd winner of the award.

In a personal letter to Stuart, who was a strong figure in the organisation of the event which remembered the role the Broad Street Centre played in the town over four decades,the Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Your work establishing Pink Saltire has given a voice to LGBT people living in remote areas of Scotland and is giving them the opportunity to be part of a vibrant LGBT community. You should feel proud of the new Pride events launching across Scotland as a result of your efforts.”

Stuart commented: “I’m incredibly proud to receive this award from the Prime Minister. Volunteering has been an important part of my life from the age of 14 and it always gives me a real sense of achievement to contribute something to the community.

“As the Founder of Pink Saltire, a charity focussing on LGBT equality in Scotland, I’ve been inspired to help improve the representation of LGBT voices in communities around the country. From our LGBT digital news hub at pinksaltire.com, to our community consultations and LGBT work in schools, the reach and impact of Pink Saltire is improving lives and changing attitudes towards our community. Most recently, we’ve worked with communities in Aberdeen, Dundee, Perthshire and Fife to help them organise and deliver Pride events for the first time, creating a highly visible opportunity for people to come together, celebrate the contribution of LGBT people and to tackle discrimination by breaking down barriers.”

He concluded: “Pride events are a fantastic vehicle for change in communities rights across the UK and we have a responsibility to continue to fight for improved representation for all those LGBT people who feel marginalised or discriminated against in the UK and beyond. At Pink Saltire, we’ll continue that important work to demonstrate Scotland is a welcoming and inclusive country.”

Scotland is experiencing a record increase in LGBT visibility, with Pride events increasing 3-fold on 2017. There are 12 events planned in 2018, which include new Pride festivals for Dundee, Perthshire and the Isle of Bute, with organisers contributing to the nearly 130 Pride events UK-wide.