Town of the year award deserved

Last week, Paisley had the incredible and well-deserved honour of being named Scotland Loves Local's Town of the Year.

- BY PAISLEY AND RENFREWSHIRE SOUTH MP JOHANNA BAXTER

This recognition comes during a time of great transformation in our community.

The revamp of the Paisley Museum will celebrate our town's proud heritage as we look to a vibrant future, driven by a cultural renewal that celebrates the growing energy of local creativity and innovation in our town.

Paisley is showing just how a strong sense of place and history can drive a bold, modern future.

One of the many great strengths our town had in attaining Town of the Year was in the many wonderful independent businesses that choose to set up here, and to call Paisley home.

In the last year alone, around 20 new and exciting independent businesses have opened in Paisley, joining the many that already make up the foundation of our ever-broadening local economy.

Whilst it is particularly true in towns such as Paisley, the strength that small independent businesses offer to local economies across the whole of the UK cannot be overstated - and it is incumbent on us all to support them in return.