A RAFT of local heroes are in the running for a Provost’s Civic Award in West Dunbartonshire.

Almost 150 nominations were received for the awards, with a host of residents from Dumbarton and the Vale making the final cut.

Alexandria singing duo Ava and Alfie, who have been busy wowing the audiences on ITV’s The Voice Kids, have been nominated in the arts and culture category.

The young friends, Ava MacFarlane, nine, and 11-year-old Alfie King, are up against Alexandria artist Ross Muir, who overcame drug addiction to become a full-time artist, making a name for himself by updating classic paintings like Van Gogh’s self portrait with a modern twist.

Also nominated in this category is the From Living Memory to Memorial project which saw a group of six volunteers at Dumbarton Heritage Centre undertake an extensive research project of local war memorials and establish a research file for each person commemorated.

Elite Dumbarton bowler and Scottish international Emma McIntyre has been nominated in the sports champion category along with Alexandria rugby player Duncan Munn who has been selected to represent Scotland at under 16 level and spends his free time helping younger teams at Loch Lomond Rugby Club.

In the running for the Community/Voluntary Champions Team award is West Dunbartonshire’s The Good Life Group which is made up of adults with additional learning needs who work to deliver training programmes on a range of issues faced by people with disabilities.

Read more: Stars of community shine at Provost's Awards

They are up against the Friends of Dumbarton Foreshore, who have been working tirelessly to clear litter and debris from the foreshore of Levengrove Park to the Havoc playing fields, and The Phoenix centre in Castlehill which re-opened last year and has been bringing the community together through a host of events.

Up for the Community/Voluntary Champion Individual award is Balloch’s Christopher McColl, who set up his graveside maintenance business Forget Me Not after losing his father at a young age, and has since been a rock to grieving community members, taking elderly residents to cemeteries, helping them find their loved one’s graveside and even delivering shopping when they need it most.

Also shortlisted in this category is Dumbarton’s Hugh Currie whose volunteering over the past 40 years has seen him raise thousands for charities and community groups, as well as lending a hand to those who need it most.

While fellow finalist 22-year-old Cameron McIlroy has been a dedicated volunteer for the past decade helping to secure free hot water bottles for elderly residents during the winter and supporting delivery of the West Dunbartonshire Youth Alliance Summer Programme of activities for young people.

Balloch teenager Caitlin O’Sullivan has been named as a Youth Champion finalist after being shortlisted for Glasgow Royal Conservatoire’s coveted BA Musical Theatre Programme and being accepted into Liverpool University with a personal welcome and offer of one-on-one tuition from Robbie Williams.

Fellow nominee in this category, nine-year-old Emma Rose Robb, meanwhile, won three gold, won one silver and two bronze medals in javelin, shot put, football hockey, swimming and cycling at the National Dwarf Games earlier this year.

The finalists will each be invited to attend the event on August 30, where the overall winners will be announced by Provost William Hendrie.

Provost Hendrie said: “I am so thankful to our residents who took the time to highlight these exceptional people for an award. It was a very difficult task to select a shortlist because every nominee was so deserving of praise.”

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Ava and Alfie wowed judges on the first episode of the ITV talent show with a rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Photograph.

Despite being snapped up by superstar producer and Black Eyed Peas icon, Will.i.am, the pals were sworn to secrecy until the show was screened last month.