INVERCLYDE Tourist Group have been nominated for a prestigious award — and local people are being urged to get behind their bid.

The enterprising group could win up to £3,000 in funding from the Bank of Scotland Community Award competition.

They have already received the Royal seal of approval by being awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, pictured.

Now they hope the Inverclyde community will get behind them in a contest which would provide funds to expand their service.

The group promotes local tourism and activities to visitors and cruise ship passengers by welcoming them at the Ocean Terminal and taking them on bus tours financed by donations.

The group is made up entirely of volunteers and takes visitors on tours to various interesting places around the area like Newark Castle, the McLean Museum and the Fire Brigade museum.

Group chairperson Eleanor Robertson said: “We welcome people and give them information, and we always try to help people to do what they want to do and encourage them to stay in Inverclyde.” Eleanor said they also take local groups such as schools on tours, and the competition funding would help to pay for these visits.

She said: “A lot of people don’t realise what we have on our own doorstep. We’ve taken local children to Lyle Hill who have never been there before and were amazed at the views.

“We also do tours for local people to Loch Thom, the coastal trail and Kilmacolm churches.” The tourist group is up against competition from Inverclyde Happy Tots, Houston Play Park Improvement Group and Lochwinnoch Playground Improvement Group (LPIG) You can cast a vote in the contest by logging on to https://communityfund.bankofscotland.co.uk/communityfund