The vice chair of Maryhill Housing has been honoured by Partick Thistle Football Club.

Lorain Mackinnon was named as the Club’s latest ‘Community Champion’ in a ceremony on the pitch at their ground Firhill.

Lorain was chosen by the Club to receive the honour thanks to her long-standing service to the community – particularly in housing.

Lorain has just completed five years as chair of Maryhill Housing and has now taken up the role of vice chair.

It is the third time Lorain, who lives locally, has held the role of chair and she has served on the Board of Maryhill Housing for over 20 years.

As a top flight football club, currently doing well in the Ladbrokes Premiership, Partick Thistle is well known for its strong support of the local community.

The Community Champion initiative seeks to reward local people and organisations for the good work that they do. It is run with greatly-valued support from the restaurant McDonald’s Maryhill.

Over 3700 fans gathered for the match with visitors Dundee FC and cheered Lorain as she was presented with her impressive glass award by Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell.

Partick Thistle said of Lorain: “Lorain is a well-known community campaigner in Maryhill and Ruchill and a champion of local housing. Incredibly, Lorain has just completed her third five year term of office as Chair at one of the city’s best known housing providers Maryhill Housing.

“The housing association does much more than simply collecting the rent. Under Lorain’s chairmanship the organisation has delivered real benefits for local people including new housing across the community, helping local people to claim benefits to which they are entitled, support for senior citizens in the area, community events for families and an overriding desire to help people wherever they live in Ruchill and Maryhill.

“Having helped so many people in Maryhill and Ruchill over the last twenty years it is no surprise to see why Lorain was nominated to be our Community Champion. Everyone at Partick Thistle, along with our friends at McDonald’s Maryhill, hope that Lorrain has a terrific evening here at Firhill.”

Lorain said: “I am greatly honoured to become a Community Champion. I also see it very much as an endorsement of the work being done by Maryhill Housing, our Board and the hard-working and dedicated staff as we all work together to improve our communities and give people good housing.”