Inspirational, phenomenal ..outstanding
The selfless determination of some special people to improve the lives of others saw them honoured at our glittering Pride of Scotland event at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Here, we meet three big-hearted Scots who stole hearts at the awards ceremony, in partnership with TSB
THERE wasn’t a dry eye in the room when the orphans Stevie Carr rescued from war-torn Ukraine surprised him on stage at our Pride of Scotland awards.
One little girl whispered: “We love you, Stevie.”
The big-hearted dad of three, from Perth, who has become a guardian angel to 50 Ukrainian children, choked back the tears as he picked up his Special Recognition award from STV newsreader Kelly Ann Woodland.
Steven is the driving force behind Dnipro Kids – the charity was born after Hibs played Ukrainian side Dnipro in the Uefa Cup in 2005. Travelling fans held a collection for a local orphanage and maintained links after returning to Scotland, founding the charity and setting up a sponsorship scheme for orphans.
When Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, came under attack earlier this year, Stevie formed a plan to rescue a group of children from five orphanages.
After flying to Poland, he went to the border to assess the situation. Stevie then organised a bus from Poland to Lviv to transport the children and their carers to safety in two separate voyages.
After an agonising two-week wait for visas, and a specially arranged flight from Warsaw, the children arrived in Callander, Stirlingshire in March, while preparations were made for longer-term stays in Edinburgh.
Now, thanks to money raised by the charity and help provided by communities, the kids stay in the Edinburgh area with Ukrainian house mothers who care for them in groups of 12.
Stevie said: “I never imagined that attending a football match all those years ago would change my life forever.
“These kids are amazing. They’ve had a hard start in life after losing their parents and their country being ripped to bits. I couldn’t not bring them to safety. “What better place to bring them to than Scotland? The country has welcomed them with open arms and hearts.” He added: “I may have helped get them out of Ukraine but the real heroes are the Ukrainian house mothers. We don’t know what the future holds for these kids but I’m confident Scotland will help them achieve their full potential.” Kelly Ann said: “Stevie is just the most incredible human being.”