Firefighter’s palace date for charity link-up honour
A FIREFIGHTER from Stepps has been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in recognition for his role in helping to develop a life-saving partnership between the Scottish Fire Service and blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.
Andy Watt was presented with the medal by Prince Charles after being recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list last year.
The 45-year-old, who moved to Glasgow in 1998 to begin his career as a firefighter, has since worked in Dumbarton, Coatbridge, Clydebank, Lanark, Hamilton, East Kilbride and is now based at the SFRS HQ in Cambuslang.
He has chaired the ground-breaking SFRS/Anthony Nolan partnership since 2014, which recently recruited its landmark 10,000th potential stem cell donor to the charity’s register.
Andy was joined at Buckingham Palace by wife Jillian and their two sons, Kerr, 15, and Ellis, 8.
Speaking after his award, he said: “It was an incredible and very special experience, especially being able to share the day with my wife and two boys.
“I was quite nervous on the day but as soon as you arrive at the Palace, the staff there immediately made you feel at ease. Prince Charles was fantastic, it was a fairly short conversation. He asked me about my length of service.
“Personally, the award means the world to me, but more than anything this is a fantastic reflection of the lifesaving work of the SFRS, our amazing volunteers and the charity Anthony Nolan.”
Anthony Nolan uses its register to match potential stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a stem cell transplant.
The partnership with SFRS was established in 2009 by then Area Commander Ally Boyle.
Ally had previously been diagnosed with blood cancer and was forced to retire from SFRS in 2014 due to ill-health.
Anthony Nolan’s chief executive Henny Braund said: “The partnership between the SFRS and Anthony Nolan has already had a lifesaving impact, and we know that the 10,000 donors recruited so far could go on to give even more people a second chance of life in the future.
“This partnership would not be possible without Andy Watt and his team of volunteers; the commitment and passion they show every day is truly remarkable. We wish Andy a hearty congratulations on being recognised with this well-deserved award.”