THIS Friday, we will stage the Provost Awards in Clydebank Town Hall to celebrate and thank those who have gone consistently out of their way to help our communities.

It is an opportunity to praise not only those who win but also everyone who is nominated.

Choosing the winners gets harder and harder every year as the need for help grows ever larger.

Without ordinary people stepping forward to aid their communities, our services would simply collapse.

To those who reach out to help others, I sincerely thank you all. Without you, our communities would be in far greater need than we could possibly cope with.

This weekend past was Remembrance weekend – a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served and to give thanks to those who gave everything for us.

I happened to watch Blackadder Goes Forth recently and, as much as it was a very good comedy, the last four minutes were hard-hitting, as soldiers stood in the trenches, ready for 'the big push.'

As they said their goodbyes to each other and the whistle went to send them 'over the top,' they charged towards a hail of bullets and, as the smoke lifted, we were left with a view of a field filled with poppies, marking the many sacrifices made.

We will never forget.

On a different note, I would like to raise awareness of the importance of wearing a safety helmet while using an electric bike.

You can ride an electric bike from the age of 12, yet no legislation is in place to ensure you must wear a helmet.

As any cyclist will tell you, our roads are not the best. Apart from the obvious danger of motor vehicles, we have to dodge potholes on a daily basis (some of these potholes are more like craters), yet a teenager can jump on an electric bike and hit the roads without a helmet.

It would only take an electric bike to clip one of these potholes and, for the rider, the results could be devastating.

We need legislation to protect electric bike users. It is the 'eco way' to travel but at what potential cost?