This year’s Fife Volunteer of the Year awards was held in the Parkway Hotel on Thursday 26 October. The event was once again sponsored by BSkyB and organised by Volunteer Centre Fife as part of the national celebrations for Make a Difference Day.
The theme of the evening was “A Night at the Oscars” and what a night it was …
COMPERE AND QUIZ MASTER
We were delighted that John Murray returned as our compere and quiz master for the evening. John is a former winner himself and is a DJ on Victoria Radio Network.
John and VCF Staff hostesses with the mostesses
Back Row – John, Val, Linda, Cerys & Jacquie
Front Row – Janette & Nicci
John kept us all entertained with his humorous clues and impressions for our pub quiz, the topics of which were all about the Oscars and film industry.
John Murray (centre) surrounded by our very scary Security played by
VCF Board Members: John Anderson (left) and Chair, Roger Coates (right)
The audience participated as teams with movie stars for names: Halle Berry, Marlon Brando, Russell Crowe, Clint Eastwood, Clark Gable, Marilyn Munro, Jessica Rabbit, Robert Redford and Kate Winslet.
A round of the pub quiz was played between each Award Category leading up to a tense ice-breaker! The winning team was: the Clark Gables, with close runners up, the Clint Eastwoods.
Each team member received their very own Oscar to take home with them as a memento.
Clark Gable did well on the night picking up 7 Oscar awards!
Organiser Val (in tiara!) with the “Rowdy” Clint Eastwoods
There were no losers on the night and the lowest scoring team: the Russell Crowes won themselves a Shape of Fife T-shirt (a popular item from last year’s event!).
Pub Quiz losers the Russell Crowes
“Who wants a fight? I’ll hold your T-Shirt!”
GUEST SPEAKER
This year our special guest speaker was Callum Farquhar. By day Callum works for the Policy and Organisational Development Service of Fife Council but in his spare time Callum is an Explorer Scout Leader in Cairneyhill working with around 50 youngsters aged 14-18 on a weekly basis. He was recently awarded a Long Service Award for his 25 years as a Leader with Scouting.
Callum (left) with VCF Manager Ron Nugent
receiving some red carpet treatment!
Throughout those 25 years he has tried to develop the young people in a variety of ways. The Scouts have an active programme that gets them outdoors in all weathers doing activities such as: hillwalking, rock-climbing, caving, canoeing, mountain-biking, skiing, land-yachting, sailing, canoeing and hovercrafting on a regular basis.
Callum’s main interest is in the International Dimension and he has led over 70 expeditions abroad over the years to almost every continent.
His Scout Troop regularly support other charities and last year raised money for Maggies’ Centres and Riding for the Disabled. They raise nearly £100,000 every year so over the years they have helped raise over £1million.
Says Callum, “I relish the challenges of working with the age group and really enjoy my volunteering. I would not have travelled to as many places; met so many interesting people nor undertaken so many different activities if it wasn't for the Scouts.”
LIVE MUSIC
Square Sphere is one of the young groups which are part of a music project called “Wired for Sound” based at the Kirkcaldy YMCA. They performed six songs for us that they have written themselves in two sessions and were absolutely fantastic – stars of tomorrow – remember you saw them here first!
Square Sphere stole the show – Autographs for a small fee!
FEED IN FROM HOLLYWOOD
VCF Vice-Chair, George Proudfoot, was unable to attend on the evening as he was in Hollywood on holiday. He left a deep and meaningful conversation with Madonna, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg at a swanky red carpet event early to feed in some ‘live’ words of thanks and support for all the volunteers.
Click above to get the Hollywood George experience
YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2006
WINNER - Leanne Drury, Inverkeithing High School
Leanne is a popular senior pupil at Inverkeithing High School who goes above and beyond to help other pupils in the school and support the school community. Leanne has a brother in S2 who has medical difficulties which requires him to have continual support during the school day. Leanne is often there to support him when she can in a sensitive way. She tried to encourage her brother to integrate into the activities of the school, offering to help with clubs or on school trips he wants to participate in.
Leanne is a Vice House Captain, every morning she supports a group of challenging pupils to start the school day including helping a very vulnerable pupil to develop his reading skills. In her free periods, Leanne supports classes in our Physical Education Department. Leanne works with an Autistic pupil to access the PE curriculum. Leanne has developed a positive relationship with this pupil which has lead to his PE classes being one of the most positive parts of his school week.
Leanne has also devoted some of school study time to volunteering with a primary 1 class at Park Road Primary. Leanne makes a very positive impact on the class being well liked by pupils and staff. Out with class time, Leanne promotes the identity of Palace House, arranging events and supporting younger years during activities and trips. Leanne is also a cub helper at the 41 st Fife Scouts.
Leanne goes about her volunteering in a very unassuming way, not looking for gratitude or reward and always with a smile.
FIFE VOLUNTEER OPEN CATEGORY 2006
WINNER - Mary Miller, Fife Arts & Crafts Enterprise Training (FACET)
In the mid 80’s Mary’s husband Archie suffered a massive stroke and as a result Mary gave up her job as a weaver in Johnson’s Weaving in East Wemyss to become a carer for Archie. Archie attended Headway (Brain Injury Group) and Mary quickly became involved in the running of the group, organising events and eventually doing their administration and yearly accounts, which she still does.
In 1998, FACET started up a Weaving Project and Mary volunteered to give the group the benefit of her weaving experience. In 2000, Mary took over the project and Mary now runs Woodside Weavers (as a volunteer). Mary teaches 6 women, all with disabilities, how to weave and the group raise money through the sale of their scarves. Mary loves running the weaving group and relishes the chance to get involved in fund raising events, fun days or craft fairs when it means raising money for good causes.
FACET Manager, Andrew Parry and nominator, is in awe of Mary’s energy to do all this and also be a carer for a partner with a disability. In all the years he has known her, she has never had a holiday away anywhere apart from one night in Aviemore to pick up an award for the Woodside Weavers in 2002.
Mary does not talk much about what she does. She takes a practical view of her circumstances and is a quiet but powerful inspiration to those around her. With such a small staff team at FACET, a volunteer like Mary is invaluable and a terrific example of a what a volunteer can achieve.
VOLUNTEER TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD 2006
WINNER - The Jolly Sixties Day & Lunch Club
The Jolly Sixties Day and Lunch Club is 22 years old on 25 October 2006. The Jolly Sixties have 22 elderly infirm men and women who are brought in by bus to Abbeyview Community Centre by 10.00am. There are eight volunteers who give them caring support and help, no matter what. The Jolly Sixties gives them a two-course meal: soup and a main course, they then play dominoes and have a chat. They have made friends with each other and talk to each other on the phone. The Jolly Sixties feel that they have given their members a better quality of life – they all seem to love their club. Lillian Hutchison, Manager, nominated her team of volunteers who give their all to make sure the elderly in the club are safe and well.
MATURE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2006
WINNER – Olive Douglas, Soroptimist International of Kirkcaldy
Olive Douglas is a volunteer on the committee of the Fife Hospitals Kidney Support Group and recently she has been responsible for organising events for patients and their carers including:
- A bus trip to Blair Drummond Safari Park
- A lunch sail on a barge on the Union Canal, Ratho
- A weekend break to Pitlochry where the itinerary included the Enchanted Forest Show at Faskally, tour of Edradour Distillery and visit to the Abernyte Antiques Centre. Transport, wheelchairs, meals and accommodation for the weekend were all organised by Olive
- A shopping day trip to Braehead
- A family picnic to Lochore Meadows
- A sail on the Maid of the Forth
- Educational meetings to help patients understand their illness
- Informal support group and friendly chat nights
- Involved in fund raising events to raise money to finance these activities eg pro-am golf, sponsored walks, abseils, prize draws and bag packing
As a member of Soroptimist International of Kirkcaldy for 22 years, Olive has initiated and participated in many events including:
- Raised substantial funds for several charities by personally walking the length and breadth of Scotland both from NE to SW and the Ultimate Challenge between West and East Coasts
- Organised considerable raffle prizes for prize draws
- Introduced the Christmas Shoe Box Appeal, Donor Card Awareness publicity days in the Mercat Shopping Centre and litter picking during National Spring Clean Week
During her community work when she was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Olive won the Best Senator in the World Award and other trophies for promoting links with other Chambers in England and Ireland and was given a Civic Reception by Kirkcaldy Town Council. Olive has taken part in charitable events form and early age and hoped that she can continue to do so for many more years and we, her fellow members in Soroptimist International of Kirkcaldy, have pleasure in recommending her nomination as the Volunteer of the Year.
MARIE HETHERINGTON
Marie is the most deserving of the award for all her work with the Make a Difference champions. She also co-chairs the Make a Difference Fundraiser panel. She has helped raised thousands of pounds for our company charity, Chicken Shed and helps inspire and motivate others within Sky Dunfermline to get involved in volunteering. She's led and organised at least 2 volunteer projects galvanising others to engage.
Here is what Marie had to say:
"As for my work with the MAD(Make a Difference) Pannel. I have been on the panel for 3 years now and spent the last 2 years as chairperson. As sky is such a big employer in the local community it feels it is the responsible thing to do to give back to the community. I cover two main areas grants and volunteering. Local youth groups, charities associations can apply for anything up to £3000 to help with community projects, these applications are brought to the meeting of the MAD panel and voted upon. Volunteering is a bit more involved, sky offers all of its employees the opportunity to volunteer in the community, sky will allow each employee 16hours of work time per year if this is matched with 16 hours of their own time. This can be done as an individual project or as part of a team challenge, being the main the main contact for this in the Dunfermline area I am often approached if there are events happening which require volunteers, I will then try and provide volunteers and source donations if further equipment tools etc are required. Some of the things ive been involved in are, Doing up a garden in Lochgelly, helping re-vamp the front of a high school, helping as a tour guide for the Anne Frank festival and I have for the past 2 years been a seminar leader for business dynamics which teaches vital work skills to high school pupils and I am currently arranging an event for pupils from various different schools to come into sky and learn about the various departments. I am also sky Dunfermlines chairperson for their fundraising panel which started up last July, our panel arranges fundraising events to help raise money for our charity partnet which at the moment is chickenshed, things we have done are charity five a side, cycle race and it's a knockout, since the start of the panel we have raised over 15,0000. Members of staff can also ask the panel to do a fundraising event for a specific charity, we have done things like raffles to raise money for a wheelchair, bucket collections for luckemia, tombolla for children in need."
FIFE OVERALL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2006
WINNER - Mary Miller, Fife Arts & Crafts Enterprise Training (FACET)
We are delighted to announce that this year’s overall winner is Mary Miller!
SPECIAL AWARD
Anne Monteith, North Queensferry Heritage Trust
Anne was nominated for her work with the Marine Conservation Society by Scottish Officer, Callum Duncan. Though Anne did not win the Fife Mature Volunteer of the Year Award, she was presented with a special award by Calum Duncan and Nickol Stewardson of the Forth Estuary Forum for her tireless conservation work.
Nickol Stewardson, Anne Monteith (centre) and Callum Duncan
Anne has been co-ordinating the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Beachwatch events every year for the last 10 years at Port Laing, North Queensferry.
Beachwatch is Europe’s biggest beach litter clean-up and survey scheme. Every September, to coincide with International Coastal Clean Ups taking place in over 90 countries, MCS mobilise thousands of volunteers, surveying litter on hundreds of beaches throughout the UK. The data is collated and published annually in a Beachwatch Report, available to the public and vital in the MCS campaign to turn the tide on litter.
Although the MCS Beachwatch event is very successful, with 332 beaches taking part in the UK in 2005, including 64 in Scotland, only five UK beaches have been surveyed every year since the project began in 1993. One of the five is Port Laing, where Anne has been steadfastly surveying the litter and cleaning the beach every year for the last 10 Beachwatch events. Such datasets are invaluable for determining whether beach litter is getting better or worse, as demonstrated by Scottish Natural Heritage using Anne’s data in their ‘Marine Natural Heritage Trends’ reports. After 10 years of dedication to MCS Beachwatch, Anne has decided to ‘pass the paton on’.
For services to both cleaning up the Fife coastal environment and to recognise her contribution to beach litter monitoring throughout the United Kingdom, Anne receives a special mention and award from the Marine Conservation Society pictured above.
VOTE OF THANKS
SPONSORS
We’d like to say a big thank you to our sponsors, BSkyB, without whom this night would not have been possible.
BEHIND THE SCENES
As well as providing the live entertainment for the night, the YMCA’s Wired for Sound project also loaned us the wonderful and very patient Gary Diamond who took care of all our sound effects and technical bits and pieces throughout the night. A sound track was produced using theme tunes from famous movies to give our event some atmosphere.
COMPERE AND QUIZ MASTER
Thanks to John Murray for his continuing support and for his excellent compering and quiz mastering for the evening. He is our glue!
GUEST SPEAKER
Thanks to CallumFarquhar for giving such a fantastic presentation and photos about his work with the Scouts.
LIVE MUSIC
Thanks to Square Sphere for providing the live music and entertaining us so well.
PARTICIPANTS
Thanks to all the volunteers and their nominators without whom we would have no reason to celebrate!
“Last night was superb, we all had a ball. One of the best themed nights I've been to. Thanks to you and all your staff for pulling it together. Well Done!!!” - Nickol Stewardson, Forth Estuary Forum
See you again next year!
The Johnny Depp Entourage!
“If you don’t have a pass – you don’t get in – got it?”
Board Members, Roger and John keep out the masses!
