Mallaig volunteer receives High Life Highland award

A Mallaig Volunteers is among the top performing volunteers recognised by High Life Highland last Thursday at its annual award ceremony.

The event saw volunteers from across the Highlands recognised for significant contributions to the charity, its clients and customers.

Chairman of the charity’s board, Donald McLachlan, recognised the importance of volunteers to the charity, saying: ‘HLH hugely values the contribution made by its volunteers and is privileged to have more than 1,700 volunteers, who work tirelessly, week in and week out to assist our staff in delivering a wide range of activities in and around our communities throughout the Highlands.

‘We literally could not deliver the wide range and number of services without their help.’

Among the volunteer award winners were John Gilles, from Mallaig, who is a volunteer with Active Schools.

Until five years ago, shinty had not been played in Mallaig for around 20 years but when John moved there he changed that and, working alongside the local Active School Co-ordinator, it is now a thriving sport thanks to the work he has put in developing and training young players.

John has a real passion for shinty and leads weekly training sessions for primary pupils with, at last count, 36 youngsters, enabling them to learn and play the sport, and encouraging them to then mentor those coming up behind.