It has been hard to see past the horror this week, as another mass shooting in the US dominates the headlines.

Watching events unfold in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down in a nightclub, it all feels a bit hopeless.

Omar Mateen, the man responsible for the killings, was described by an ex-colleague as someone who 'didn't like life."

Security guard Daniel Gilroy said: "The rage he had towards people was amazing. He hated people."

How bleak must it be, to go through life, hating people?

Tonight, the Evening Times hosts its annual Streets Ahead Awards prizegiving, honouring the schoolchildren, pensioners, business owners and charity workers who have helped to transform their communities for the benefit of all who live, work and play in them.

Here in our city is a bunch of men, women and children who can see the benefit of working with their neighbours, rather than against them.

They don't care where you come from, how old you are, what team you support - it's not about emphasising difference, it's about celebrating unity.

They are gardeners and growers, skateboarders and scientists, actors and allotment-tenders.

They give up their time to pick up litter, deliver food parcels to elderly neighbours, help kids who have no gardens at home experience the joy of playing outdoors.

It's easy to dismiss clean-ups and bird-feeder workshops as a bit of fun, something to keep bored kids occupied, box-ticking exercises for community groups.

By anyone who has ever been involved in our Streets Ahead campaign knows it's about so much more.

To the wee boy in Balornock who didn't know apples grew on trees until Eco Drama came into his school and brought nature to life, it means an open door to a world of wonder.

To the families in Maryhill, scared to use their local green space until Friends of Maryhill Park came along and transformed it, it's the chance to meet their neighbours and make new friends in a safe, clean environment.

To the elderly residents who receive harvest food parcels hand-delivered with smiles and chat by the children of Thorntree Primary in Shettleston, it's a lifeline.

These are just some examples of the exceptional, inspiring finalists who will take part tonight, eager to hear if they have won a Streets Ahead award.

Of course, to the rest of us, it doesn't really matter if they win or not - we're just grateful they are doing it.