EVERYONE has put so much enthusiasm and energy into Paisley’s bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

Jean Cameron, the bid director, has done a fantastic job and I wish her team the best of luck.

We all really need to get behind Paisley 2021 in these last few months as the opportunities a successful bid could bring to Renfrewshire will benefit us all for years to come.

Myself and my office team have been backing the bid.

Unfortunately, we have no Paisley 2021 merchandise left, as passionate Buddies have came into the office over the last few months to snap up all the badges, pens and flags for the bid so they can display them proudly all over the constituency.

Meanwhile, it is good to see that the new SNP administration at Renfrewshire Council are acknowledging the excess litter and flytipping that plagued our streets under the previous Labour administration.

The Team Up to Clean Up campaign will see the council step up their own efforts in a bid to tidy our streets.

They are encouraging local communities and groups to take pride in where they live and have initially invested £250,000 into the campaign to make our streets look respectable again.

At the heart of this campaign are the voices of local people and it really is reassuring that the council are actually listening and engaging with them through this campaign.

Residents from all over Renfrewshire can have their say on what they feel needs maintained, cleaned or sorted out in their local village or town.

The council has been holding engagement sessions which anyone can attend.

I would encourage you to do so, as it’s you – the people who live there – who know what needs cleaned up the most in your own communities.

Whether it is excess litter, dog dirt, broken bottles or flytipping, make sure your voice is heard.

Elsewhere, I was really happy to take part in the recent Move a Mile for Muscles event at Castle Semple.

Local mum Mairi Leitch has been organising this annual event in Lochwinnoch for the past three years and I was extremely grateful to be asked by her to take part this year.

The work Muscular Dystrophy UK do is crucial and I was honoured to do the mile to help raise awareness.

Like many other rare diseases, Muscular Dystrophy can often be misunderstood and the work of organisations like Muscular Dystrophy UK is essential for the families and individuals who are affected.

Ensuring that people do not face the challenges that come with muscle-wasting conditions alone can prove to be life changing and I am glad to have had the opportunity to give this event my support.