A construction firm which is paying for sixteen Scottish housing associations to fund afternoon teas has been given a top civic honour.

City Gate Construction launched its ‘Afternoon Tea with CGC’ initiative in January to help housing providers fight loneliness and isolation among their older tenants.

Now the Paisley-based firm has been named Renfrewshire Employer of The Year 2017.

The company won the title – widely regarded as a major civic honour - in the 20th anniversary Provost’s Community Awards organised by Renfrewshire Council.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall helped celebrate the achievements of local community members who “go above and beyond the call of duty to make Renfrewshire a better place” at a well-attended event in Renfrew.

Over 80 nominations were collected across five categories before a judging panel came together to choose the winners.

Provost Hall said: “We are fortunate to have a community in Renfrewshire who are so willing to be selfless and work together to make this area a wonderful place to live.

“My congratulations go to all our award winners and they have deservedly been recognised for their work within the community.”

Leo Reilly, managing director of CGC, added: “We are understandably delighted to have won this Award and congratulate the other winners in their respective categories.

“This is a major pat on the back for our hard working and dedicated staff without whom this success would not be possible. I want to publicly thank them for what they have done to make CGC the successful and fast-growing business that it is today.”

The award recognises CGC’s ongoing commitment to the community not just in Renfrewshire - which has always been its home - but overseas, too.

CGC is proud to financially support a nursery school in The Gambia, helping it to meet the costs of educating young African children in this developing country.

The ‘Afternoon Tea’ initiative for housing providers was designed to give housing associations a helping hand by receiving £200 or £100 to fund teas. The aim is to bring people together. All those successful received their funding last week.