Volunteers have their good works recognised at awards ceremony
FROM creating island employment to everyday acts of kindness – volunteers from across Oban, Lorn and the Islands have won a host of awards at this year’s Volunteer of the Year celebrations.
The Isle of Luing Community Trust Atlantic Islands Centre won the prestigious Social Enterprise of the Year award for its efforts to provide a space for people on the island to socialise and to support the creation of new jobs.
The centre, which has a community hub, visitor centre and restaurant, has benefited the island. Its voluntary board has also shown a huge commitment towards its staff and volunteers.
Other winners at the event, held by Argyll and Bute TSI in the Argyllshire Gathering Hall in Oban on Friday September 16, were regional heroes Marie Grier from Oban and John Bottomley from Tiree.
Retired health visitor and midwife Marie won a Regional Hero award for her volunteering efforts on behalf of the recycling project LORI (Lorn and Oban Refuse Initiative) while also managing her ME condition.
Meanwhile, small daily acts of volunteering earned John his Regional Hero award. Since moving to Tiree 10 years ago, John has never been known to say ‘no’ – taking people shopping, driving them to appointments, delivering meals on wheels and many countless other acts of kindness that mean so much to so many people. The Sargus Memorial Prize was also awarded to John Bottomley.
The Organisation of the Year award, voted for on the day, went to Hope Kitchen.
Island Castaways was highly commended in the Social Enterprise of the Year category. It has more than 40 regular volunteers working in three island charity shops.
Jeannie McColl from Mull was highly commended in the Volunteer of the Year category for more than 40 years of volunteering with many organisations, including the rugby club and pony club.
Erin Macgregor was a highly commended as Young Volunteer for her years of volunteering that have earned her the 500-hour Saltire certificate as well as a Saltire Ambassador role.
Susan Simpson was highly commended in the NHS Health Volunteer of the Year. Following her own tragic experience of the stillbirth of her daughter in 2010, Susan started to fundraise for the charity SiMBA, which supports those affected by the loss of a baby.
This is the first time the awards were hosted by the TSI, which was created last year when Argyll Voluntary Action, Islay and Jura CVS and Argyll and Bute Social Enterprise Network merged to form one organisation supporting the third sector across Argyll and Bute.
TSI chief executive Glenn Heritage said: ‘It is a fantastic haul of awards for this area and shows the diverse range of ways that people support their communities.
‘It is important that people like them – who give up much of their own precious time to help others – are recognised for the huge contribution they make. They don’t do it for the recognition but our communities are so much richer for their efforts. We hugely value them.’
Among the guests at the award ceremony were MSP Mike Russell, Argyll and Bute Council chief executive Clelland Sneddon, chief officer for health and social care integration Christina West and the Provost of Argyll and Bute, Councillor Len Scoular.
The keynote speaker at the event was Bill Clifford from Mary’s Meals, the hugely successful charity that provides food for some of the world’s poorest children so they can go to school.