Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2021

Ellis on 4 June, 2021

The Midlothian Volunteer Awards are all about celebrating the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian.

The awards take place every year during Volunteers’ Week and are a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian.

In 2021, we did things a little differently. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the award ceremony was held online. There was also a new category introduced to acknowledge the amazing community-led volunteering efforts that occurred in response to the pandemic.

The ceremony was very different to the one we’re used to at Newbattle Abbey College, nonetheless we were joined by around 150 people to share the appreciation and admiration for Midlothian’s volunteers. We even got a mention in UK Parliament!

2021 Volunteering Team of the Year, Penicuik Ambassadors.

Winners

The winners of the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2021 are as follows: 

  • Outstanding New Volunteer: Heather Mortimore from Food Facts Friends. 
  • Befriender/Mentor of the Year: The Connect Project Volunteers from Volunteer Midlothian. 
  • Active Volunteering: Chris Boyle and Ricky Lloyd of Dalkeith Rugby Football Club. 
  • Health and Wellbeing Award: The Midlothian Breastfeeding Alliance.
  • Dedicated Service: Colette Pye from Mayfield and District Breastfeeding Support Group. 
  • Covid-19 Community Award: The Amazing Brains Committee at Art Club.
  • Volunteer Manager of the Year: Naomi Knights from the Connect Project at Volunteer Midlothian. 
  • Saltire Summit Award: Kyle Anderson, Eva Hesketh-Laird, Louise Gillespie, Melissa Reidie, Samantha Gough.
  • Volunteer of the Year: Joseph Burke of Health in Mind.
  • Volunteering Team of the Year: Penicuik Ambassadors. 

Photographs

Mascot Campaign

In 2021, as part of our mascot campaign, we ran a ‘Name the Bear’ competition for primary schools in Midlothian.

The bear travelled around Midlothian, visiting different beauty spots and places of interest, posting photo updates on our social media using the hashtag #wheresthebear

At the end of its journey on June 3rd, the bear received its new name, Bramble, as voted for by participants at the Midlothian Volunteer Awards ceremony. The name was based on entries from local primary school children, with the winning entry receiving £100 for the school.