• Covid-19

    • Tag: Volunteer’s Week

    Boogie & Arlene Want You… To Nominate For The Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2024!

    placement on 12 March, 2024

    NOMINATIONS CLOSE NEXT WEEK for the 2024 Midlothian Volunteer Awards! 🎉

    The Midlothian Volunteer Awards take place each year, and are all about celebrating the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian. This celebration is a part of Volunteers’ Week, where we appreciate people’s kindness across the whole of Scotland. It is a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian.

    Please ensure you read the FAQs here before you submit.

    A big thank you to Boogie & Arlene from Forth One for helping us get the message out!

    DownloadNomination Example and Photo Guidelines

    Submit Your Nomination

    If you have any questions, email info@volunteermidlothian.org.uk

    Nominations Open for the 2024 Midlothian Volunteer Awards!

    placement on 29 February, 2024

    Nominations are now open for the 2024 Midlothian Volunteer Awards! 

    The Midlothian Volunteer Awards take place each year, and are all about celebrating the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian. This celebration is a part of a national initiative, where we appreciate people’s kindness across the whole of Scotland. It is a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian.

    Please ensure you read the FAQs here before you submit.

    Nominations will close on March 22nd, so submit them soon.

    DownloadNomination Example and Photo Guidelines

    Submit Your Nomination

    If you have any questions, email info@volunteermidlothian.org.uk

    2024 Midlothian Volunteer Awards

    placement on 27 February, 2024

    Nominations open on February 29th, and close on March 22nd.

    The Midlothian Volunteer Awards are back! We’re excited to celebrate all the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian over the past year.

    This celebration is a part of Volunteer’s Week, a national initiative where we appreciate people’s kindness across the whole of Scotland. It is a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian. The 2024 Award Ceremony will be held on June 6 at the splendid Newbattle Abbey College.

    We’d love any person nominated for an award to be made aware so they can save the date for the event.

    Please note this event is for nominated volunteers, and their nominees.

    Take a look at our video from last year to see what it’s all about:

    Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2023: Winners Announced

    Miriam Leighton on 2 June, 2023

    We are very excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Midlothian Volunteer Awards ceremony, which took place last night at Newbattle Abbey College. These incredible individuals have gone above and beyond to make a difference in their communities and to their organisations, and we are thrilled to recognise their contributions and dedication. From mentoring young people, supporting parents and providing soups for vulnerable people, and making a difference through physical activity, they represent the very best about volunteering.

    Their inspiring stories remind us that we all have the power to create a positive change, no matter how big or small it may be.

    By sharing their stories and celebrating their contributions and accomplishments, Midlothian’s volunteers inspire others to get involved and make a difference to their own communities….and their own lives. They are shining examples of what it means to be a volunteer. We hope that their passion and commitment will continue to inspire others for years to come.

    Congratulations!!!

    This year’s winners are:

    Equality and Diversity Award – Les Reynolds, Mayfield Community Club Tea Dance

    Service to the Community Award – Davy Naismith, The Glencorse Centre

    Befriender/Mentor of the Year Award – Alister Ballantyne, Health in Mind

    Active Volunteering and Climate Change Award – Ageing Well Volunteers, Midlothian Council

    Health & Wellbeing Award – Soup2Go – Young Volunteers, Midlothian Council Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability

    Dedicated Service Award – Louise D’Arcy-Greig, Army Cadet Force

    Outstanding New Volunteer – I.M.P.A.C.T, Improving Midlothian Parents And Caregivers Time

    Volunteering Team of the Year Award – The Rosewell Volunteering Team and The Rosewell Gardening Club, Rosewell Development Trust

    Volunteer of the Year – Ruth Simpson, Ageing Well

    Our Saltire Summit Award winners for 2023 are:

    Kristen Dent, Aleesha Doherty, Louise Gillespie, Beth Keay, Shaun Wood, Chloe Barron, Ben McIntosh, George Brodie, Abbie O’Malley

    Volunteer Voices: A Meeting with Burns Scott

    Miriam Leighton on 24 May, 2023

    Burns, Julianne and his wife Helen.

    This year’s theme for Volunteer’s Week is to Celebrate and Inspire, so with that in mind we visited Penicuik to interview one of Midlothian’s most dedicated volunteers. With over seventy years of experience under his belt, BURNS SCOTT is a source of inspiration to current and future volunteers in Midlothian and beyond. Here we share the highlights of his story as told to Julianne, our student on placement from Napier University. We hope that Burns’ achievements will encourage others to volunteer in their own communities too.  

    Burns Scott’s volunteering journey began after World War II, when he initially volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1946. During his time in the navy, he realised that his desire to volunteer had grown into a long-term commitment. Burns expressed to Julianne that his motivation to continue volunteering stemmed from a desire to give back to his community. This motivation drove him to take on various voluntary roles throughout his working life, and even into his retirement.

    A varied, rich and rewarding volunteer journey

    Over the years Burns came to recognise that volunteering was ultimately worth it, despite the time it took being involved in so many different voluntary roles. He has accumulated an impressive number of awards in recognition of the difference he has made. When asked about his most memorable experience, he told us how enjoyable his involvement in the annual Penicuik Hill Race had been. The event brought people together from all over Midlothian and beyond, using sport to foster community spirit and promote health and well-being. 

    The hill race also helped to raise the profile of the Penicuik area, boosting the local economy, and bringing more people into the county too. On one occasion, at the culmination of the event, Burns received a crystal bowl from all the athletes and marshals that had taken part. When his time on the Penicuik Gala Committee came to an end, he was presented with a card that had been handwritten and signed by all the competitors that year. Burns told us that he was extremely touched by the gesture and that it was one of his proudest moments, because people had publicly recognised the contribution he had made.

    Connecting with others

    Burns showing Julianne his signed card from all the hill racers.

    Volunteering encourages us to meet and connect with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and to make new friends. When asked who had made the most significant impact on his volunteering journey, Burns Scott mentioned Charlie Gordon. They were on the Penicuik Gala Committee together and according to his wife Helen, Burns and Charlie ‘would read each other’s minds’. Charlie was somebody that Burns felt he could look up to. Because of their mutual interest in giving back to their community, they inspired each other to continue volunteering. Often, it is the positive energy occurring between groups of volunteers that can lead to the biggest and most impactful gains.

    Keeping up the good work

    When asked what advice he would give to someone considering volunteering, Burns was quick to answer. ‘Put your heart and soul into it and give 100% of your effort.’ Burns and Helen emphasised that it is important for people to do something they like and not to give up, despite the challenges that can occur. Burns also observed that once people are volunteering and get stuck into a project, the ‘vibe’ rubs off on them. They become more motivated because other people around them feel the same. This in turn can result in a group of volunteers working hard together make positive changes happen for each other, and for others in their community as well.  

    Every volunteer in Midlothian deserves to be recognised for the effort they’ve made to give something back. In the run up to Volunteers’ Week 2023 and the Midlothian Volunteer Awards ceremony on the evening of June 1st, we hope that Burns Scott inspires new and future volunteers as much as he has inspired us at Volunteer Midlothian.

    This story was authored by Julianne Nixon.

    Never Mind the Football – the Midlothian Volunteer Awards are Coming Home!

    Miriam Leighton on 8 July, 2021

    It’s been a month since the 2021 Midlothian Volunteer Awards ceremony took place online, and we are pleased to say that we have now managed to get the trophies and certificates into the hands of all our wonderful award winners and nominees. Here are a few pics of the trophies being handed over. It was a pleasure to work with everyone involved in the awards and to meet the winners in person. We look forward to doing it all again in years to come.

    Well done and thanks again everyone – winners AND nominees!

    Members of Art Club’s ‘Amazing Brains Committee’ receiving their Covid-19 Community Award.

    Ellie and Holly from the Midlothian Breastfeeding Alliance accepting the MBA’s award for voluntary work related to Health and Wellbeing.

    Gina from the Penicuik Ambassadors, who won the ‘Volunteer Team of the Year’ award. Gina was able to come to the Glencorse Centre with her daughter to collect the award at the same time as the MBA.

    Ricky Lloyd from Dalkeith Rugby Club accepting his award for Active Volunteering. Chris Boyle also jointly won this award for his hard work alongside Ricky.

    We wonder who got to take the award home!

    A member of the team from Food Facts Friends receiving the organisation’s certificate of nomination for the Covid-19 Community Award. Heather Mortimore from Food Facts Friends won the ‘Outstanding New Volunteer Award’.

    We delivered the certificate and trophy on the same day that some of the other trophies were handed over in the Penicuik area. Unfortunately, Heather wasn’t there at the time of drop off, but we hope she liked it when she got it!

    Samantha Gough, winner of the Saltire Summit Award for her dedicated volunteering with the children and families charity, Bright Sparks.

    We think Bramble the teddy looks very happy snuggling up with Samantha.

    Joseph Burke, Midlothian’s ‘Volunteer of the Year’ 2021. Joseph won this award in recognition of the outstanding volunteer work he has done over the past 18 months on behalf of local mental health charity Health in Mind.

    Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2021: Nominees Announced

    Miriam Leighton on 8 April, 2021

    We are now able to share the list of confirmed nominees for the 2021 Midlothian Volunteer Awards, which will take place during Volunteers’ Week from 1-7 June. It’s looking likely that we will run an event on the evening of Thursday 3rd June to announce the winners, so keep an eye out for further updates about this.

    The standard of nominations has been very high this year and we have also had a lot of interest in the awards. This reflects all the extra voluntary activity we’ve seen as part of the Covid-19 resilience response in local communities, but also the amazing work that has taken place across the third sector as a whole throughout the pandemic.

    All of the nominees are listed below. The full list of Saltire Summit nominees will be announced later on in April. Well done everyone – you are all fabulous!

    Outstanding New Volunteer  

    • Heather Mortimore (Food Facts Friends) 
    • Andrew Love (CAPS Collective Advocacy) 
    • Kathryn Gordon (Home Link Family Support) 
    • Katrina Drennan (Penicuik Ambassdors) 
    • Beth Fyfe Falconer (Volunteer Midlothian – Transform) 

    Befriender Mentor   

    • Joseph Burke (Health in Mind) 
    • Alzheimer Scotland Telephone Companions
    • Amanda Gillespie (Home Link Family Support)   
    • Connect Project Volunteers (Volunteer Midlothian) 
    • Colin Pow (Health in Mind) 

    Active Volunteering 

    • Rebecca Lewis (Riverfly on the Esk)
    • Holly Gibb (Breastfeeding Café) 
    • Mirabelle Maslin (Roslin and Bilston Community Council) 
    • Chris Boyle and Ricky Lloyd (Dalkeith Rugby) 
    • Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners 
    • Ageing Well (Midlothian Council)

    Health and Wellbeing  

    • Anam Cara Befriending Team
    • Art and Craft in Wellbeing Group (Health in Mind) 
    • Midlothian Breastfeeding Alliance
    • Green Prescribing Garden Buddies (Cyrenians)

    Dedicated Service  

    • Jim Paterson (Food Facts Friends) 
    • Connect Online (Volunteer Midlothian) 
    • David Thornton (Health in Mind) 
    • Colette Pye (Mayfield and District Breastfeeding Support Group) 
    • Maggie Palmer (Home Link Family Support)  
    • Jim Ralston (1st Loanhead Boys Brigade Company) 
    • Penicuik Community Development Trust

    Covid-19  

    • Vernon Miles (Community Activist – Environmental Clean Up) 
    • Grant Stanley (‘Our Stars Family’ on Facebook ) 
    • Amazing Brains Committee at Art Club 
    • Food Facts Friends 
    • Gorebridge Resilience Partnership  
    • Penicuik Ambassadors 

    Volunteer Manager  

    • Mark Wells (Food Facts Friends) 
    • Michael Huddleston (Alzheimer Scotland) 
    • Monika Dyczko (Health in Mind) 
    • Naomi Knights (Volunteer Midlothian) 
    • Shondra Riley (Made in Midlothian) 

    Saltire Summit Award

    • Kyle Anderson
    • Eva Hesketh-Laird
    • Louise Gillespie
    • Melissa Reidie 
    • Samantha Gough

    Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2021: Nominations are NOW OPEN!

    Miriam Leighton on 8 March, 2021

    We are super excited to announce that the nominations for this year’s Volunteers’ Week Awards are now open! The 2021 awards are shaping up to be extra special because they will celebrate volunteering activity from both before and during the pandemic. 

    Categories for nomination include: Outstanding New Volunteer, Befriender/Mentor of the Year, Active Volunteering, Health and Wellbeing, Dedicated Service to Volunteering, Volunteer Manager of the Year and the Saltire Summit Award.

    The winners of the 2019 awards, which were held at Newbattle Abbey College.

    A brand-new category has also been introduced for 2021 to acknowledge community-led volunteering that occurred in response to Covid-19. This category will be open to nominations from members of the public in Midlothian who want to recognise local volunteers that have made an outstanding effort in their communities over the last 12 months. We can’t wait to see the nominations flying in! They are open for a three-week period until the end of March, so spread the word through your networks and get thinking as to who you might want to put forward for an award. 

    More information about how to nominate and the link to the nominations form can be found on our Volunteers’ Week FAQ’s page. We will also be releasing a video guide to the awards later on in the week, so look out for that, particularly if you prefer to listen rather than read.

    Good luck! If you’ve any questions, get in touch by emailing info@volunteermidlothian.org.uk

    Celebrating Volunteer’s Week 2020 in Midlothian

    Miriam Leighton on 2 June, 2020

    It’s Volunteer’s Week 2020 �� and this year we’re focusing on gratitude and recognition. As always, the team at Volunteer Midlothian are keen to get involved and say thanks to Midlothian’s volunteers: past, present, and future. Normally we do this by holding our annual awards ceremony, but sadly that was not to be in 2020.

    Instead, we will be celebrating this year on social media. To join in check out the Volunteer’s Week website: Submit your stories, messages, drawings, photographs, poems, songs, or anything creative that says THANK YOU! You can also read some real life stories of volunteering in Midlothian being posted this week on Midlothian Council’s website. 

    As ever, we are so proud to recognise the efforts of Midlothian’s volunteers (and indeed ALL volunteers from across Scotland) and we are asking you to join us in thanking them on Twitter! #VolunteersWeekScot 

    We’ve got all our fingers and toes crossed that our awards ceremony will be bigger and better next time round, with some new categories to acknowledge the amazing volunteering that has been going on in Midlothian in response to coronavirus. 

    Nominations now open for Midlothian Volunteers’ Week Awards 2020

    Miriam Leighton on 2 March, 2020

    We are super-excited to be hosting the annual volunteer awards ceremony again this year in Midlothian. The event forms part of Volunteers’ Week from 1-7th June 2020, an annual celebration of the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK each year. Preparations are already well underway – most importantly to gather nominations. There are ten award categories in total, all of which are independently judged, including:

    Outstanding New Volunteer, Befriender/Mentor of the Year, Active Volunteering, Service to the Community, Health and Wellbeing, Long Service to Volunteering and Volunteer Manager of the Year. We also award up to twelve outstanding young volunteers with the Saltire Summit Award.  

    HOW TO NOMINATE: This is a fabulous opportunity to reward Midlothian’s most active and dedicated volunteers for the part they play in supporting people, communities and the local economy. Nominations can be made via any organisation that is a registered charity or constituted voluntary group, or by staff/volunteers who want to nominate a volunteer manager.

    You can nominate on Survey Monkey by going to this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/N7MPZVH

    Alternatively, email Miriam to be sent out a nomination pack that can be printed, or call the Volunteer Midlothian office on 0131 660 1216 if you have any other queries. Get your thinking caps on as to who deserves some recognition this year – we can’t wait to hear from you!