Let’s celebrate our local heroes

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Age Scotland’s member groups don’t deliver their services to older people for plaudits, but it’s nice to get some recognition now and again says Doug Anthoney. 

This week there’s an opportunity to help one of Age Scotland’s member groups to gain some well-deserved recognition.  Last year Broomlands and Bourtreehill Age Concern made the Sun newspaper on the back of a ‘Calendar Girls’ style fundraising calendar they produced.  What didn’t grab national headlines, however, was the lunch club and meals on wheels service it delivers, five days a week, for over 300 older people in North Ayrshire.  And it’s staffed solely by volunteers.Our local Development Officer for the area, Heather, nominated the group for the ‘Cream of Ayrshire’ Awards run by local radio station West Sound.  Having made it to the final shortlist of three, it’s now looking for support to get the award of ‘Best Local Charity.’  You can vote for the group, before Friday, here.  

But of course Broomlands and Bourtreehill Age Concern is not the only member group working hard to make life better for older people in Scotland.  That’s why this year we will be making two awards at the Charity’s Annual General Meeting on 14 November at the City Chambers in Edinburgh.  The Jess Barrow award is given to an individual or group whose campaigning has highlighted a specific issues and affected change to the benefit of older people.  The Patrick Brooks award acknowledges those individuals, groups or organisations who have demonstrated effective partnership working in the interests of older people.

So if you know of a group or individual deserving of recognition, or perhaps belong to a group that’s doing great work unsung, why not make a nomination for our awards by 12th October.  These won’t be the first awards Age Scotland has made this year.  In August we made presentations as part of the World Congress on Active Ageing in Glasgow, including an award to our Ayrshire Network for organising a highly successful health and fundraising event on Cumbrae.  And that award was collected by ….. Betty Weir and Jean Reader from Broomlands and Bourtreehill Age Concern!

Doug Anthoney is Age Scotland’s Communiction and Campaigns Officer.