Tributes paid to retiring charity champ Graeme
TRIBUTES have been paid to an Oban man who has stepped down as a Mary’s Meals board member after 14 years of service.
Graeme Pagan, 80, a retired solicitor, has been involved in supporting the work of the Dalmally-based charity since its early days.
The father-of-three was a trustee with Scottish International Relief and continued to serve on the board when the charity later changed its name to Mary’s Meals.
Despite retiring as a board member recently for personal reasons, Mr Pagan has insisted he will continue to support the charity in other ways, which includes volunteering his time at the Mary’s Meals shop in Oban.
Mr Pagan said: ‘ When I first got involved in Mary’s Meals, I knew that it would be a charity that would go on to do tremendous work.
‘Since my early involvement, it has been wonderful to see Mary’s Meals continuing to grow, yet the charity itself and the people who work there have remained modest.
‘Mary’s Meals stands out like a shining beacon to me and it has been a complete honour to have been able to serve on its board. The charity will always stay close to my heart.’
Mr Pagan has a history of charity work and was fundamental in setting up the Will Aid scheme which has since raised many millions for charity.
He also co-created Oban Charitable Trust and helps run a holiday flat in the town which is offered on a weekly basis free of charge to those suffering from and affected by cancer.
Paying tribute to Mr Pagan, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder and chief executive of Mary’s Meals, said: ‘Graeme’s involvement on the board will be very much missed by the team at Mary’s Meals.
‘His commitment and enthusiasm to our work since the very early days has been wonderful and we are extremely grateful for the contribution he has made over the years.’
Mary’s Meals is helping the world’s poorest communities to overcome poverty, hunger and barriers to education, and is now feeding 1,187,104 children every day they attend school.