STEPHANIE Irons Young, Past Provost of East Ayrshire Council has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to local government and charity work. She has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Christmas honours list.

Prior to entering local politics, Stephanie played a major role in the successful community led campaign to upgrade the A77 to motorway status. This involvement in local and national politics led to her election to East Ayrshire Council on May 6 1999, following which she became Provost on May 17 2007, a role she upheld until her retirement on May 2 2012.

As Provost of East Ayrshire Council she touched the lives of many local people and communities. She pioneered the practice of choosing one particular charity each year, lending them fundraising, awareness raising and practical support to help them become more established and strengthen awareness in the community.

Her first chosen charity, The Princes Royal Trust East Ayrshire Carers benefited greatly from the Provost's support. During their year a new carers centre Dalmellington House was established as a respite facility for carers of all ages. A former bank building, it was converted to a boutique hotel, catering for carers and staffed by young carers, pursuing training schemes and apprenticeships in the catering trade and beauty and complimenatary therapies.

Combat Stress, with its Scottish base local at Hollybush House, was the focus of Provost Young's charity work in 2009/10. Fundraising activities included a charity ball, concert and bootcamp event. During the year awareness of the charity and its services was greatly raised, leading to a permanent increase in the number of referrals in veterans in need of the help they can provide. As a lasting legacy to the charity, and as a wedding present from East Ayrshire Council to Prince William and Catherine Middleton, she was instrumental in setting up "Friends of Hollybush" to provide continued fundraising support to Combat Stress.

Stephanie's third charity campaign supported Alzheimer Scotland. She had heard John Suchet on the radio talking about his wife's experience of living with dementia. Alzheimer Scotland had just set up a network of Dementia Advisors. Katy Hawker had been appointed to Ayrshire but had no local base. With help from the Council, she gained premises and a network of contacts which has enabled Katy to set up drop in groups and pioneer "Musical Minds" - revolutionary music therapy groups which were trialled in East Ayrshire with support from the Council and have been so successful that they are now being rolled out all over the country.

In her final year as Provost, Stephanie helped to raise the profile of local charity, Ayrshire Sands which offers bereavement support to local families who have lost a baby at or around the time of birth.

Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council, Fiona Lees said: "This appointment for our former Provost, Stephanie Young, is very much deserved. In her time as Provost she touched the lives of thousands of local people and their families. She was passionate about all of these causes, and as a result of her commitment and efforts she not only succeeded in raising a considerable amount of money for these wonderful charities but also helped to raise the profile of these bodies and improved understanding of the causes they represent.As Councillor, Stephanie Young served as local member for North Kilmarnock, Fenwick and Waterside from May 1999 until May 2007, and when new multi -member wards were introduced in 2007, she went on to serve as local member for Irvine Valley until May 2012.

"As councillor she served on a number of major committees of the Council including policy and resources, education, social work, development services, housing, community services and corporate governance. She chaired the Northern Local Committee from May 1999 to May 2003. Her tireless energy, her ability to bring people together to make things happen and her willingness to help her constituents whenever they needed it are recognised with this honour."