• Covid-19

    • Category: Nominee

    Food Facts Friends, Penicuik – Mark Wells and his team

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Beeslack Community High School

    The Food Facts Friends team’s focus is to provide support for people experiencing food poverty. Without these volunteers the work of the organisation could not continue. Before The Pantry opens, this busy team of volunteers prepare the rota for the day, receive deliveries and stack shelves, checking dates, labels and weighing bags/boxes. They also complete paperwork, fill fridges and freezers with donated food and prepare food parcels – sometimes till 10pm at night. The volunteers have great empathy for the people that attend. They have faced many challenges since the project opened, but have continued to work together to develop their skills and support hundreds of families during the Covid recovery period.

    Gail and Owen Quin

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Midlothian Council

    Gail and Owen Quin from Newbattle Community Education Centre Management Committee installed, developed and maintained the community garden project to the rear of the community centre. They have given their time and expertise willingly and have been involved in a number of community events and activities such as campaigns, fund raising and open days. Over the years they have been involved in various developments and projects and have undertaken most of the work themselves, including the development of a youth space that was made possible via funding from Youth Link Scotland in 2007. Over the years Gail and Owen have worked extremely hard to make Newbattle Community Centre a better place to be for all members of the community. They make a positive contribution to others and set a great example for the whole local community.

    Ros McLeish

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Rosewell Development Trust

    Ros McLeish volunteers every Thursday at Rosewell Development Trust’s lunch club, ensuring the room is prepared and the tables are set and ready for a warm welcome. The lunch club is a well-established feature of the local community with several older volunteers who help out. Ros fitted in straight away when she started in her role, quickly establishing a niche for herself sharing duties with other volunteers. Ros has a positive and upbeat personality and has brought a new vibrancy to the lunch club. Some members suffer from dementia and Ros is supportive and empathetic, making them feel safe and welcome. Her bubbly personality always helps to put others at ease.

    MAEDT Volunteer Team

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust (MAEDT)

    Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust’s volunteer team have been integral to the functioning and growth of MAEDT’s activities during the pandemic. They have created and improved the community garden, helped to set up and establish the community café, stocked up The Pantry (an affordable food project), improved community spaces by litter picking, maintained flower beds in the park and cleared spaces in the park to minimise anti-social behaviour and improve safety for everyone. MAEDT’s volunteers are kind, caring, compassionate and always dedicated to the work they do.

    Transform Project

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Carey Douglas, Volunteer Midlothian

    The Transform Project is for young people who need some extra support to get involved in volunteering. As part of the project, Volunteer Midlothian runs a community garden where people can try out different gardening activities and meet other young volunteers. Adult supporters are on hand to support the project. Collectively, the wonderful team of volunteers at Transform are increasing biodiversity and helping the environment by building bug hotels, using recycled materials to make raised beds, learning about composting and leaving wild areas to thrive. The garden also gives the community somewhere wonderful to sit, ponder or play.

    Midlothian Paths Group

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Midlothian Federation of Community Councils

    Midlothian Paths Group meets on a monthly basis and is co-ordinated by the Midlothian Ranger Service based at Vogrie. The volunteer group members make walking, cycling, scooting and rollerblading easier and safer for everyone. They also prune back hedges and trees, improve access and repair sections of path as necessary. Their work is greatly appreciated by everyone in Midlothian because they are helping to provide safe places that can be enjoyed by an ever-growing number of people including visitors to Midlothian. The pandemic encouraged people to spend more time outdoors, appreciating nature. The Midlothian Path Group are making this easier for everyone to do and their efforts deserve to be recognised.  

    Anne Hyatt

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Rosslyn Community Bowling Club

    Anne Hyatt has been involved in biodiversity projects in Roslin for the past 3-4 years and has made a tremendous impact leading and organising different initiatives. She established the Friends of Roslin Moat in conjunction with Roslin Men’s Shed and the local primary school, which led to the installation of 20 bird nesting boxes. She has also been instrumental in the development of a local community garden, working alongside the bowling club to improve the grassy area looking out into Chapel Lawns by replanting with trees, bushes and wildflowers. Anne’s calm manner and sense of humour are invaluable when working with other volunteers and she has helped to bring young and older people together in the community.

    Connect Project Team

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Volunteer Midlothian

    A volunteer from the Connect Project is matched with a member of the older population who has been identified as socially isolated in the Midlothian community. The contribution that Connect volunteers make to the lives of those they are matched with is huge. The befriending process often acts as a ‘safety net’ by maintaining a strong and regular connection with someone in the community who is in a vulnerable situation. Clients find it invaluable speaking with someone who is not a close friend or family member. The work of the Connect volunteers has helped to ensure that older people in Midlothian are less isolated and better supported.

    Connect Online Volunteer Team

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Volunteer Midlothian

    The Connect Online Volunteer Team has been running for nearly ten years. Volunteers work with older people to increase their skills and confidence using digital technology. Learners are supported with whatever device they have including mobile phones, laptops, tablets and smart tech such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Queries often arise about topics such as scam texts and e-mails, which can cause significant financial harm if prevention measures are not put in place. The volunteers support participants to block numbers, set up spam filters and report phishing to banks or other organisations. In doing so, the Connect Online Volunteer Team are helping to promote digital safety and reduce the likelihood of cybercrime.

    Siobhan Nelson

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Midlothian Council Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability (Adults and Families)

    Siobhan Nelson launched the Midlothian Free Share Facebook page in December 2021. This popular online group enables people in Midlothian to give unwanted items away for free. Siobhan allows local businesses to advertise on the Free Share page and this encourages people to buy locally. Among the most frequent posts are those offering children’s clothes and furniture. On one occasion a person moving into a new flat without anything at all was able to furnish their flat through the kind donations of local people. The project is raising people’s awareness about recycling and reducing waste and it is tackling poverty in Midlothian. The site is inclusive and friendly because of Siobhan’s can-do attitude, tenacity, and community spirit.

    Gail Denholm

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Home Link Family Support

    Gail Denholm began training as a volunteer with home Link Family Support in August 2020 during lockdown. She has shown outstanding commitment and dedication to the role, making sure the family she works with have food and clothing. She has demonstrated great listening skills and empathy but has also helped with practical tasks such as gardening. She is currently assisting a family to declutter and pack, ready for a long overdue move to a larger property. She has gone the extra mile on several occasions, including taking numerous car loads of rubbish to the tip. Gail’s input has enabled clients to grow in self-confidence and to become more resilient.

    Lillian Renshaw

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Rosewell Development Trust

    Lillian Renshaw started volunteering with Rosewell Development Trust in 2021, at a lunch club that provides a twice-weekly opportunity for elderly residents to get together for a chat over lunch. This has been especially important during the Covid pandemic when many older people have experienced loneliness and isolation. Lillian’s role involves helping to set the tables, serve the meals, and clear up whilst also interacting with those attending. Lillian enjoys the company and likes to chat with lunch club members about what she has been up to during the week. People love hearing her infectious laugh.

    Karyn Mcgrath

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Karyn McGrath has been volunteering for Anam Cara for over two years. She has extensive volunteering experience including supporting burns victims and continues to volunteer for CREW 2000 supporting people with addictions. She recently became part of the training team for the befriending service at Anam Cara. Her warm personality provides a soft shoulder to lean on and a listening ear. Many of Anam Cara’s other volunteers go to Karyn when they are struggling or when they need a bit of extra support. All her work is completely selfless and dedicated to the organisation.

    Nominated by: ANAM CARA

    Nicola Buntin

    Miriam Leighton on 10 May, 2022

    Nominated by: Health-in-Mind Midlothian community team

    Nicola Buntin is a Health in Mind volunteer. She supports a weekly walking peer group and a gardening group in Dalkeith. Nicola’s role is to make people feel welcome, listen to their needs, and to promote equal opportunities. She is always aware of group dynamics and quickly adjusts to be able to lead discussions and activities. Nicola showed great compassion and understanding by emotionally supporting a group member that was struggling with their mental health, listening carefully to their needs and providing comfort until the person felt able to move on. She shows a huge amount of warmth towards other volunteers and service users.