A DEDICATED Alloa volunteer has officially received an award from the queen last week.

Linda McLeod, who was named on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List earlier this summer, was presented with her British Empire Medal (BEM) at a ceremony last Tuesday, August 28.

Handing the award over was Clackmannanshire’s Lord-Lieutenant, Lt. Col (Rtd.) Johnny Stewart.

Linda, 69, was picked from the crowd for her services to people with lung conditions.

She has spent more than a decade raising awareness and has been chair of Breathe Easy Clackmannanshire, a support group under the British Lung Foundation.

Linda has been cracking on with her work despite health complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and was instrumental in raising more than £10,000 for the foundation.

On top of spreading the anti-smoking message locally, she sits on the Cross-Party Group on Lung Health at Holyrood and also campaigned for a service that cuts down travel for patients at Larbert.

And while walking can be a struggle, Linda was a bearer of the Queen’s Baton in 2014.

The hand-over ceremony and tea party at Arndean, near Dollar, was attended by a dozen of her family and friends.

Following the presentation, Linda said: “I am deeply honoured by this award.

“All I have done is to try to help raise awareness of lung disease and support those who suffer such debilitating conditions."

The BEM follows a British Citizen Award from last year with the latest citation saying that Linda “stands out as a volunteer who is exceptional in her work in forming, running and promoting the group”.

It added: “Even with her own health difficulties she has worked for 10 years to raise awareness of lung disease in the community.

“To help fund the BEC she organises a variety of fundraising events such as fashion shows, charity quiz nights, bingo teas and coffee mornings.

“She is a regular visitor to local schools, delivering the anti-smoking message.”

Linda was selected for honours this summer alongside four others in Clackmannanshire, including Teresa McNally, Angela Morgan, Jonathan Burton and Roger Coppock.