• Fife’s biggest celebration of the voluntary sector recognises hard work

  Created: 6/3/2016
  
  Volunteers and voluntary organisations from across Fife were honoured Wedensday night (01 June) at Fife Voluntary Action’s annual Awards Ceremony.
  
  250 people attended the event at the Rothes Hall, which was hosted by Professor Garry Taylor, Acting Principal of St Andrews University (pictured). The Awards are the biggest event of its kind in Fife.
  
  Over the course of the evening awards in 16 separate categories were presented to hardworking people and organisations from all corners of the Kingdom.
  
  Provost Jim Leishman MBE was on hand to present the awards to the winners.
  
  This year’s Volunteer of the Year award went to John MacKay from Cupar who volunteers with Continuing Care Service. Last year John put in an incredible 515 hours of his time driving clients to hospital and shopping. John often puts his clients’ needs over his own and recently, taking a gentleman for chemotherapy, John cut a day off his holiday in order to give that client the continuity.
  
  Other awards included Young Volunteer of the Year which was given to Amina Aslam. Amina is Depute Head Girl and an active volunteer within Glenrothes High School. Amina assists with classes in the Chemistry department, has completed three Advanced Highers and attends her local mosque supporting younger children learn Arabic. She also volunteers at Glenrothes Hospital and at a local Care Home where she spends time listening to residents, reminiscing and reading to them.
  
  Hayfield Community Centre received the Organisation of the Year award. This local community centre in the heart of the Hayfield area of Kirkcaldy. The Committee successfully negotiated a lease to enable the Centre to come under the direct control of the Management Committee for the first time, they secured external funding of around £300,000 for upgrade work to the building and enabled staffing support to be created for the first time to help run the centre on a sustainable basis.
  
  The award for an organisation that reduced inequalities went to Inverkeithing Community Initiative for its work with Fife Council and Kingdom Housing to take forward the Regeneration of SE Inverkeithing.
  
  Long service awards were also handed out to the many volunteers who have put in years’ of service to helping to strengthen communities in Fife.
  
  There were also special Saltire Awards for young people who have volunteered for well over 200 hours. Aidan Rae and Kayleigh Sinton from Dunfermline won in this category with work for the British Heart Foundation and Dunfermline Museum respectively, as well as Beth Milloy who volunteers with Active Schools at Buckhaven High School.
  
  Throughout the evening there was entertainment from Celtic rock band Faramach and Dunfermline and District Scottish pipe band.
  
  Kenny Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Ever year we are taken aback by the tremendous and often life-changing efforts volunteers and voluntary organisations across Fife make on a daily basis.
  
  “This event is our chance to highlight that fantastic work and celebrate these achievements and I think that is what we have achieved tonight.”
  
  Full list of awards and winners:
  Volunteer Categories

  • Trustee/Board Member, Leeanne Stewart, East Fife Girls and Women’s Football Club
  • Mature Volunteer, Nancy McGill, Continuing Care Service
  • Young Volunteer, Amina Aslam, Glenrothes High School
  • Volunteering into Work, Claire Chue Hong, Supported Employment Service
  • Inspirational Volunteer, Sheena Pratt, Victoria Hospice
  • Volunteer of the Year, John MacKay, Continuing Care Service
  • Active Volunteer, William Menzies Campbell, Fife Society for the Blind

  
  Organisation Categories

  • Equality and Diversity, Age Concern Glenrothes
  • Reducing Inequalities, Inverkeithing Community Initiative
  • Super Start-Up, DEAP
  • Partnership, Fife Employment Access Trust
  • Green Environmental, FEAT Trading CIC
  • Active Organisation, Bums off Seats – Active Fife
  • Organisation of the Year, Hayfield Community Centre

  
  Saltire Summit Awards 2016

  • Aidan Rae, 1145 Dunfermline SQN British Heart Foundation Queen Anne High School
  • Kayleigh Sinton, Fife Cultural Trust (Dunfermline Museum)
  • Beth Milloy, Active Schools

  
  

  ---

  What now?
  See other news/events in the FVA news category
  Go to the main News page
  Tell us about your own news
  
  

News/Events Categories:

Share your news/events