Three dedicated volunteers from the Helensburgh and Lomond area have been honoured at a glitzy ceremony which paid tribute to people who give up their time to help others.

More than 100 people from across Argyll and Bute came together in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls in Oban to celebrate the achievements of volunteers working in the community.

Flying the flag for Helensburgh and Lomond at the Argyll and Bute Volunteer of the Year Awards were Derek Fowlis, who was named Regional Hero, and Senga Armstrong and Chris Leggett who were highly commended in the overall Individual Volunteer of the Year category.

The ceremony is held annually by Third Sector Interfaces, part of Voluntary Action Scotland.

Derek is well known thanks to his hugely successful fundraising events at The Creggans bar in Kilcreggan which he manages with wife Elaine.

He is a respected member of Cove and Kilcreggan Development Trust and Rosneath and Clynder Community Council. He has also been vice-chair of Rosneath and Clynder Highland Games for more than 25 years.

Derek, 47, arrived in the area at the age of eight when his parents, Jim and Lexie, moved over from Greenock.

With his mum and dad heavily involved in organising community events, Derek soon started to get involved and at the age of 14 began his long involvement with the highland games, helping to set up the field for visitors and competitors.

His fundraising in conjunction with customers at the pub has raised thousands of pounds over the years for many local organisations.

He said: "My work at The Creggans puts me in a privileged position because it's easy to start raising funds with customers, who are very generous. The nomination for the award came out of the blue. It's very humbling because I do realise there are other volunteers out there who receive no recognition."

And it's not just local good causes which benefit, as Derek organises regular pub pakora nights to fundraise for an orphanage in India.

In the words of the nomination: “He makes this village go round and does everything with exceptional kindness and good humour."

Senga, who lives in Rosneath, has been a volunteer befriender with Visiting Friends (VF) since November 2015. Since the initial match which she has nurtured tirelessly - and despite her own serious health problems - she has taken on two more clients, devoting at least three days of her week to volunteering.

As an example of Senga's dedication, she befriended Pat, a frail 74-year-old widow with multiple health problems who suffered a personal tragedy when a granddaughter died two years ago.

However, with Senga's friendship, Pat found new confidence - even after a stay in hospital - and turned her life around to the point where she is now brimming with confidence, more mobile and optimistic about her future plans.

Pat even organised a move to Largs where she now lives in a sheltered housing unit.

Senga, 74, said: "I am very pleased to have received the recognition. The befriending scheme is very worthwhile and I have enjoyed being involved with it."

Chris, meanwhile, started started volunteering at the Tower Digital Arts Centre in Helenburgh three years ago and in that time has transformed the disused church into a working arts centre.

Salvaging and then laying flooring, painting, and building a stage and bar area are among the many jobs Chris has tackled and he is now planning two small rooms for service personnel to get together with their families.

Chris, 69, who lives in Shandon, has also used his knowledge from working with BAe Systems at Faslane to put in place good health and safety practices and procedures in The Tower.

The citation described Chris, who will be 70 in January, as a “wonderful man and a patient teacher who has a great sense of humour”.

He said: "I am very pleased to receive this recognition and that the the work I have been doing at The Tower has been recognised.

Katrina Sayer, deputy TSI chief executive told the audience at the Oban event: “Volunteers – where would we be without you? From small simple acts of kindness like giving someone a lift to the lunch club to the effort involved in running a peer support service for those in recovery from substance misuse.

"From working with others to create a beautiful green space in your community to sharing a passion for music in a Saturday morning orchestra for young people. Without volunteers who give of their time, energy - and often blood, sweat and tears - our communities would be much greyer, much poorer and much sadder places."

The overall winner of the Organisation of the Year following a vote on the day was Oban War and Peace Museum.

Other main winners were Iain Gillespie from Rothesay who won the Individual Volunteer or the Year and the Sargus Memorial Prize - which was won by John Webb from Helensburgh a couple of years ago.