A DALRY woman has been nominated for a national award by Diabetes Scotland in light of her contribution to the community in Ayrshire.

Kirsty McKinnon, of Dalry, and Julie McGarry from Kilmarnock run the ‘Ayrshire Families with Diabetes’ group and have been nominated for a ‘Local Group and Community’ Inspire Award.

Kirsty and Julie have sons with type 1 diabetes, Aidan, three, and Evan, seven, which was their motivating factor for joining the local group.

Kirsty said: “Julie and I are both honoured to be nominated. We both love running Ayrshire Families with Diabetes and do it to support and offer our experience to other families going through a life changing event.

“When we joined the group, we both wanted our boys to make friends and enjoy the company of other children living with type 1 diabetes.

“As parents, we had lots of questions that other parents could answer. The wealth of knowledge that type 1 parents have regarding their child’s condition is endless.

“New families receive their backpack supplied by Ayrshire Families with Diabetes group, which includes essential items like scales, measuring cups, medical alert band and also a card introducing Julie and I with a list of our personal details so they can contact us anytime.”

Kirsty and Julie have also been nominated for the ‘Reaching Out & Connecting’ award.

Angela Mitchell, National Director of Diabetes Scotland said: “A child’s diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is a blow to the children and the family unit both physically and emotionally.

“Having someone who has been through that experience is invaluable. That’s why it’s important to recognise the tireless support of volunteers like Kirsty and Julie.”

The winners will be announced this month.