A COWDENBEATH man has been recognised for his voluntary work at the Kingdom FM Local Hero Awards.

Stuart Duffy was awarded the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ title at a glitzy ceremony in Glenrothes on Friday.

Stuart told the Times: “It was a huge surprise and honour to receive this award, I’m really amazed!

"I want to thank whoever nominated me for the award and the whole team at Kingdom FM who put on a fantastic show for all the nominees.

"There were so many truly inspiring stories shared on the night and it really does show the strength of community spirit here in Fife.”

Stuart led the activities which marked the closure of the Broad Street Community Centre in Cowdenbeath after nearly 40 years service to the community, raising over £25,000 for events which included a legacy film, time capsule and a celebration for local volunteers.

He also leads the Fife-based equalities charity, Pink Saltire, which promotes equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in more rural communities.

Earlier in the year, the charity have been delivering LGBT-awareness sessions at Beath High School and supported the second Fife Pride event in Kirkcaldy.

Stuart was recognised for his community work by Prime Minister, Theresa May, in July after receiving the ‘Points of Light’ award at a special ceremony at Downing Street. Pink Saltire also picked up the ‘Equality & Diversity Award’ at the Fife Voluntary Action awards over the summer too.

In his nomination video for the Local Hero Awards, Stuart encouraged more people to get involved in their community and become a volunteer, saying: “If there is something in the world that you’re really passionate about or want to change then start volunteering – it’s a great way to make things happen!”