A GREENOCK cancer support advisor has been honoured with a national award for her crucial work helping recovering patients keep their fuel bills down.

Jacqueline Coyle, who works for Macmillan in Inverclyde, has won the  ‘Outstanding contribution to community health and wellbeing’ prize from Energy Action Scotland.

It was presented at their annual conference.

Welfare expert Jacqueline has been a vital lifeline to hundreds of patients over the years.

She has helped to secure well over £10m in benefits for people and has been hailed as a rock by the people she has helped.

Now she has clinched an award for her work helping locals diagnosed with cancer to cope with the soaring cost of energy bills.

Energy Action Scotland chief executive Frazer Scott said: "Jacqueline is compassionate, dedicated and committed to helping all her clients, making every effort to ensure their cancer journey is more manageable and comfortable.

"She has been particularly active with us in helping upgrade heating systems and helping to make homes more energy efficient.’"

Jacqueline has been closely involved in delivering a number of projects funded by Scottish Power and Good Energy to provide new energy efficient white goods.

Through these she has helped 138 clients receive new boilers or heating systems and secured no fewer than 260 clients essential white goods such as a cooker or freezer, all free of charge.

In addition, all clients were offered income maximisation and benefit checks resulting in thousands of pounds of much needed additional income for them during their illness.

Energy Action Scotland, which campaigns to raise awareness of fuel poverty and lobby the Scottish Government to make positive changes, uses its awards to recognise individuals who have made a significant impact in combating fuel poverty.

Latest data shows that 37 per cent of Scottish households live in fuel poverty but the situation in Inverclyde is worse, with figures for the district hitting 44 per cent.

According to the Scottish Government fuel poverty is defined as more than 10 per cent of net income after housing costs being spent on energy.

Mr Scott said: "The last thing you need to be thinking about when recovering from cancer is stressing about heating your home.

"Jacqueline has worked with us to ensure hundreds of people can reduce their energy worries."