AN AYRSHIRE volunteer with a remarkable back story has now come up trumps in at a major national awards ceremony.

Claire MacLaughlan, from Irvine, had previously told of how she "came from Ayr with nothing" before pulling her life back together when she was intiially listed as one of six finalists in The Third Sector Awards 2022 for 'Volunteer of the Year' for her work with Ardrossan based charity The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety.

She attended the awards finals in London at the end of last month - where she was named the overall winner of the award.

She told of how she was "really humbled to have won" adding: "I'm overwhelmed, given the calibre of the others in my category."

READ MORE: Irvine woman in final of third sector awards after coming from Ayr with 'nothing'

Claire was referred to The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety charity in 2020 by North Ayrshire Women’s Aid.

Her confidence was at rock bottom, her anxieties were high and she was immensely emotional and traumatized having escaped from an extremely abusive relationship.

Slowly, through a mix of Personal Safety advice, practical self-defence training and informal counselling, Claire begun to live her life again.

She then decided to become a Personal Safety Instructor with the charity, where she volunteers much of her free time.

Claire previously explained to us the journey she has been on from her lowest point.

She said: "I came from Ayr with nothing! I put my four kids into school, went home, grabbed some wee bits we needed and got them from school, and we never went home. 

"I went to the police after a month and started going to Women’s Aid. Then I started going to the gym, started college and slowly putting my life back together. 

"My kids had support from Women’s Aid and they thrived. My confidence grew when I started attending The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety. I also started working with ASSIST and STAR and I've experienced just how much having someone there can help."

Now, through her work volunteering, she hopes to inspire and help others who find themselves in a similar situation.

Claire commented: “I actually really hope to work with women coming through abuse. I really believe I can help these women rebuild their lives by finding their confidence, just like I did through my training.”

With her renewed self-confidence, Claire also decided to become a Personal Trainer to “help people achieve a healthier and happier life” and aims to pass her PT course in the next few months.

She has also started volunteering for Barnardos as a befriender as she “wanted to do something that would make a difference to young people”.

On top of all of this, Claire is now studying to become a Paediatric Nurse and has recently qualified as a nursing assistant with the NHS. She plans to get into university next year and be qualified in three years.

All at the Scottish Centre for Personal Safety are extremely proud of Claire's achievements, and how much she has grown.

The charity's founder, Alan Bell, commented: "Claire has come so far since being referred to us a client from North Ayrshire Women’s Aid. Her confidence has grown and to see her teaching others as a fully qualified Personal Safety Instructor is inspirational."

You can more information on the Third Sector Awards at www.thirdsectorawards.com/ and about the Scottish Centre for Personal Safety on their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ScotCPS.