Selfless volunteers honoured at community celebration

The dedication, passion and inspiration of North Ayrshire’s devoted volunteers was celebrated last week at an emotional event.

Hosted at Ardrossan Civic Centre on Thursday 28 March, the evening celebration was a chance for the council’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) team to mark the remarkable contribution that community volunteers make day in and day out.

Irvine Pipe Band star and Youth Work Modern Apprentice Conal Rae began the ceremony with his bagpipe rendition of Caledonia, followed by opening remarks from Provost Anthea Dickson.

Councillor Dickson said after opening the event:

“I am delighted to be here on this special occasion as we come together to celebrate and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our volunteers who are the lifeblood of our communities.

“I am amazed to learn that in the last year, 1,337 volunteers have given up their time to make a difference in their area, with our CLD team supporting 423 community groups across council venues.

“Community Learning and Development, or CLD, enables people to identify their own individual and collective goals to engage in learning and take action to bring about change for themselves and their communities.

“I continue to be astounded by the impact that volunteers are making locally. Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to making a real difference in the lives of so many people.”

North Ayrshire Fairer Food Network won the ‘Shirley Morgan Award’, made in recognition of a dedicated community worker who died in 2022, for their volunteering contributions across North Ayrshire’s 16 food larders. Working tirelessly, the volunteers provide affordable access to groceries in local community venues, removing stigma and the barriers associated with residents trying to overcome food poverty.

With ongoing guidance from CLD and help to establish a more sustainable food supply, in the past year, community volunteers across the network have been able to facilitate 26,207 visits to community larders.

The other nominees in this category were Friends of Redburn, Georgina Bryden, Dalry Men’s Shed, Largs Community Council, Corsehill Community Association, Khaldiya Alakhour and Jean Frew for their ongoing efforts to make a difference in their communities.

Councillor Chloé Roberston, Young People’s Champion then presented the ‘Alex Pettigrew Award' said:

“Alex was active in making a difference and improving communities across Ayrshire. Throughout his life he inspired and encouraged others to do same.

“So, we are proud to present the accolade to North Coast Youth Forum for their continued efforts to champion and inspire young people and enable them to overcome barriers to realise their full potential in the North Coast and beyond.”

The team then thanked the other young nominees in the category, Rupert Mooney Mariam Bandakji, Naiomi Clark, Gamers Group and Towerlands Cyber Boys Group, who are giving up their own time to run activities and sessions for 11–25-year-olds to gain confidence and thrive.

North Ayrshire Youth Services were recognised as they have worked alongside local volunteers to support 6,971 young people on a range of youth work and development programmes.

Other successes highlighted were the council’s pandemic response, none of which would have been possible without the sacrifices of local volunteers, and North Ayrshire’s trailblazing approach to community key holding, putting the trust into the hands of groups to open and close their own venues.

The keyholding initiative has been able to facilitate more community groups than ever before with over 18,000 hours delivered in the last year, freeing up a social value of more than £225k to be put back into communities.

Finally, special contribution awards were presented to Sally MacIntyre, Marjory Dickie, Wendy Tedd, Annette Biggar and Catherine Wigzell.

The event forms part of the revised Community Learning and Development Strategic Plan to strengthen and empower communities.

Stay tuned to North Ayrshire Virtual Community Centre for more news on the impact community groups and CLD are making across our six localities.