After an anxious wait for parents and pupils alike, I want to start by saying well done to everyone across East Renfrewshire who received their exam results recently.

I still have flashbacks of waiting for the envelope to drop through my letterbox over 15 years ago!

This is a moment to pay tribute to all the hard work of pupils, teachers and support staff throughout the year and I hope you are now thinking ahead to an exciting future.

For those who may not have done quite as well as they hoped, don’t panic! I can tell you from experience that there is plenty of time and plenty of ways to get to where you want to be, so keep your head up and, as my mother-in-law always says: “Whit’s fur ye will no’ go by ye!”
Sadly, what should have been a day of celebration ended with serious violence in Overlee Park, with three boys being hospitalised following an attack. One boy suffered stab wounds.

Together with Eastwood MSP Jackson Carlaw, I have been in regular contact with Police Scotland and the Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf MSP over the past week and would like to thank the emergency services for their quick response.

I would also like to wish those who were caught up in the attack a full and speedy recovery.

This sort of incident is a disgrace and we must take steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. I receive far too many complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour and I will continue to work with Police Scotland and East Renfrewshire Council to look at ways we can address this.

Elsewhere, parliament remains in recess until September 5 but the work here in East Renfrewshire continues. It has been great to have so much more time every week in the constituency, both as your MP and to spend with my family. You’d be surprised at the casework you pick up whilst taking the kids to Planet Play or having dinner at the Cross Stobs Inn!

I’m really looking forward to my next round of surgeries this week, where I will be in Clarkston, Newton Mearns, Giffnock and the Barrhead Foundry.

I will also be taking my advice surgery to the Orchard Park pub on August 23 and then will be back at Bourock Parish Church for another ‘Soup and Surgery’ event on September 4.

All details are on my website at www.paulmasterton.org and you can call 0141 648 8811 or email paul.masterton.mp@parliament.uk at any time to raise an issue.

On a different note, I’d like to congratulate Barrhead high jumpers Nikki Manson and David Smith on their performances at the European Championships and wish the best of luck to Nicolle Finnie, who will next month represent Team UK at the EuroSkills Championships in Budapest.

Finally, it was great to visit Barrhead Youth Football Club recently. They are doing amazing things in the community, with over 400 kids playing football, and have some great ideas for new initiatives which I’m looking forward to supporting.

Fortunately, I avoided getting skinned in a kickabout!

There’s so much great stuff happening in East Renfrewshire that it’s hard to keep up at times but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s been a brilliant summer.
I’ll be heading back to Westminster in a few weeks, reinvigorated and determined as ever to speak up for your achievements and the issues that matter to you.