Individuals and groups are praised at Provost’s Awards
Local heroes from Stirling’s rural areas were among those honoured at the 2018 Stirling Provost’s Awards last Friday night.
The biannual event at Stirling Castle saw nominations this year in the categories of academic, sport, arts and culture, business, community, the voluntary sector, youth, and Special Achievement.
Individuals such as Balquhidder ‘postie’ Moira Welsh, Doune youth project founder Dheraj Shamoo, Balquhidder Community Broadband stalwarts Richard Harris and David Johnston, and Kilmadock Community Council chairman James Innes were amongst more than 20 recipients who had gone the extra mile for their communities.
Food and drink business Mhor Group were rewarded in the business category.
Doune Community Woodland Group was honoured for their volunteers’ efforts to turn the 40 acre nature reserve into a haven for the local community and visitors alike, including opening it up to people with disabilities and hosting a range of events including an Easter egg hunt, fun run, family day, an orienteering event and children’s educational workshops.
Along with the winners in each of the categories, the William ‘Citizen’ Jaffrey Award – a special award of distinction – was given to the Trossachs Search and Rescue team (TSAR).
William Jaffray of Cambusbarron (1749-1828) was responsible for a smallpox vaccination programme that is believed to have saved the lives of thousands of people. He also won the freedom from slavery of a Caribbean woman, destined to return to the West Indies with her owner.
The accolade that bears his name honours those who do much at their own expense for no reward.
Acting as an emergency response team that provides everything from life-saving search and rescue services to vital community assistance during severe weather, TSAR have been an invaluable part of Stirling Council’s response network for around 16 years.
Dedicated to placing public access defibrillators across the Trossachs area, they now manage a network of 120 of them across the National Park area, as far north as Tyndrum.
Last winter the team braved the ‘Beast from the East’, helping emergency services respond to 999 calls, taking staff and patients to and from hospital and transporting care and nursing staff to the homes of critical care patients.
They also delivered urgent prescription medicines from pharmacies at Balfron and Killearn to housebound elderly patients across the Fintry, Buchlyvie, Killearn and Balfron area.
Team members even set out on foot with emergency food parcels to residents in the Carron Valley area who had been cut off for six days by severe snow and blocked roads.
TSAR’S most senior member, Sion Barrington, also picked up an individual award, for dedicating around 1,000 hours of annual service to the organisation and also for his wider voluntary work across West Stirlingshire.
Stuart Ballantyne, chair of Trossachs Search and Rescue, said: “It is an incredible honour to have been selected as the recipient of the William ‘Citizen’ Jaffray Award by the Provost and Baillies of Stirling.
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