Showing the Spirit of Sport
The many volunteers who have pulled together to provide support in Blairgowrie and Rattray during the coronavirus pandemic have been praised for their efforts.
Blairgowrie Bowling Club president Willie Donaldson said he wanted to thank all those who contributed to the town’s COVID-19 response after he was recently named as the winner of the Community Inspiration Award at Live Active Leisure’s Spirit of Sport Awards.
Sponsored by Perth and Kinross Sports Council, the one-off celebration replaced this year’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards and recently took place online.
Willie was nominated for his efforts with the Bowls of Help project, which was based at the Lochy Terrace clubhouse.
The joint project between the bowling club and the Blairgowrie and Rattray Coronavirus Coordination Group was designed to provide a venue where residents could pick up free groceries and other items, such as school supplies, during the height of the pandemic restrictions.
A spokesperson for Live Active Leisure described the award as being for“someone who has proved to be an inspiration to their community by doing something such as using their creativity to make others active, completing an outstanding feat to raise money or overcoming significant challenges but stayed positive throughout.”
The other finalists short-listed in the category were Blairgowrie Rugby Club’s Fraser Bissett and Graeme Doig of Perth Eagles Wheelchair Sports Club and Perth Strathtay Harriers.
Willie said he was still on“cloud nine” after finding out he had won and described watching the ceremony as a “lovely family moment”.
The father-of-two was also at pains to stress the town’s response to the coronavirus pandemic was very much a collective effort and described all the nominees in the various categories as “local heroes”.
He said:“People maybe don’t realise how important both projects [at the bowling club and the rugby club] were.
“We would get people coming in looking to pick up food because they’d been furloughed and had their income reduced, or they maybe had their own business but fell into that bracket where they weren’t getting any help from the government.
“We would put them over to Fraser at the rugby club who’d deliver a package for them so they were always getting a constant supply. It was a team effort. Two great sports clubs came together.
“When they were low on stock, we gave to them – and when we were low, they gave to us.
“I’d like to thank Fraser for his support, the members of Blairgowrie Bowling Club, the Blairgowrie and Rattray Coronavirus Coordination Group and all the volunteers.
“It wouldn’t have been achievable if it wasn’t for all the volunteers. We didn’t have to look for them, they came to us.
“Fraser’s a very good friend of mine. If I could turn back time I would be happy to share it or if he got it because I know what he’s done for the community.”