Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Founder Anne named as Volunteer of Year
Ceremony hears of suicide support
The founder of a Monklands- based suicide prevention organisation has been named North Lanarkshire’s volunteer of the year.
Anne Rowan set up Chris’ House – Scotland’s first 24hour, non- medical crisis facility – in memory of her late son Christopher, who lost his life to suicide five years ago following post-traumatic stress disorder.
Standing for Centre of Help, Response and Intervention Surrounding Suicide, the organisation has been operating since August 2015 with its Saline Street base officially opening a year ago; and has already helped more than 140 individuals and families.
The 600 attendees at the Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire( VANL) ceremony were told how, since Christopher’s passing: “Anne has shown courage and determination by committing herself to helping other people and families affected by suicide.
“She is quite simply an incredible volunteer who makes herself available 24/7 to help those in need of a safe haven as a result of suicidal crisis.”
Her nomination continued: “Anne has been responsible for helping to restore light in many people’s lives.
“She makes herself available to every person who visits or telephones Chris’ House, and ensures she has her phone with her at all times, day and night, sleeping with one eye open in case she is needed to provide words of support and comfort in someone’s darkest hour.”
Anne received a trophy marking her “exceptional commitment to supporting people and communities across North Lanarkshire”, claiming the top prize from a total of more than 250 nominations which were judged by a panel including deputy lord lieutenant Helen Russell, George Thomson of Volunteer Scotland, Barry McLeod of The Improvement Service and representatives of sponsors.
Chris’ House was also a finalist in the category of outstanding new organisation – which was won by the Coatbridge-based Lanarkshire Baby Bank, founded 10 months ago and described as “a fantastic example of what can be accomplished by a small group of dedicated active citizens in only a short
Anne helps to restore light in people’s lives
space of time”.
The group collects donations of clothing, toiletries, prams, cots, bedding and toys for babies and children across Lanarkshire and has already helped 1000 families; and is now planning special events and appeals to continue supporting the area’s most vulnerable parents and children over the festive season.
Coatbridge also had two further major award winners – including Jim Melvin, who triumphed in the “promoting safer communities” category for his Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) work over the past 17 years.
Serving first as manager of the Coatbridge branch and latterly as housing support officer across the bureaux’s North Lanarkshire network, he has helped hundreds of people resolve crisis situations thanks to his “skilled and productive advice, support, representation and interventions”.
Busy community hub Glenboig Neighbourhood House was named best social enterprise; it has a busy seven-day activity programme for local residents of all ages and runs a cafe, community transport section and houses the village’s Post Office.
Also nominated were Neighbourhood House representatives Teresa Aitken and Teresa Keating in the promoting safer communities category, young Airdrie volunteer Caitlyn Sharpe, Coatbridge volunteer champion Richard Carlson, social enterprise Moira Anderson Foundation, and Hope for Autism, a finalist in the “engaging support needs volunteers” section.
The awards ceremony, held at Motherwell Concert Hall, was hosted by broadcaster Steve McKenna and was respectively opened and closed with speeches from council leader Jim Logue and depute provost Jean Jones.
VANL chief executive Kenny Moffat said: “Hundreds of local volunteers and voluntary sector organisations work to help others and better our communities; this was a way of recognising a number of these unsung heroes.
“It was an enjoyable evening for everyone involved, also proving highly emotional, and there were so many deserving winners. It was about celebrating the brilliant achievements, no matter how big or small, of all of North Lanarkshire’s volunteers and organisations.
“Huge thanks and congratulations go to all those who were nominated and make a difference locally through their participation.”