EVERYDAY heroes who step up to help save lives will be recognised at the Scottish First Aid Awards.

This year, the sixth annual event, a new category of Emergency Services Hero of the Year has been added.

And organisers St Andrew's First Aid are calling on the public to nominate deserving winners.

Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “The awards have grown in size and popularity since we launched them in 2011.

"The event is a great way for us to celebrate extraordinary achievements in first aid and to recognise and remember that every one of us has the ability to save a life.

“It’s a highly enjoyable night and looks to reinforce the importance of everyone in Scotland having first aid skills.

“We pride ourselves on being a trusted provider of first aid and when people see our volunteers in uniform, they know they are in the safest hands.”

For more than 130 years the charity has trained people across Scotland in life saving skills and provided the highest level of first aid cover at events throughout the country.

The awards are an opportunity for the charity to recognise the efforts and achievements of members of the public who have put their first aid skills into practice when faced with a real life incident.

The awards will also recognise the dedication and support of their more than 1200 volunteers and 350 youth volunteers who give up nearly 67,000 hours of their time every year.

They provide both top-level first aid cover and great comfort in their presence to the millions of people who attend more than 2000 events covered by the charity on an annual basis.

Last year’s Young First Aid Hero of the Year was won by 18-year-old David Corrigan from Springburn, who used the skills he had learned from his first aid training to save the life of a man who had been knocked down in the street by a bus.

Hosting the event will be Steve McKenna, an experienced radio broadcaster who is well known on the entertainment circuit.

The Scottish First Aid Awards are open to all, regardless of whether you have received first aid training with St Andrew’s First Aid or another provider.

For more information about the event and to nominate your first aid hero, see www.firstaid.org.uk/awards.

Entry to any of the awards categories is free and nominations will close at 5pm on Friday, August 25 2017.