Tag: Midlothian Volunteer Awards

Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2025

Ellis on 19 May, 2025

Click here to view the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2025 programme!

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 2025 Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday 29 May at the splendid Newbattle Abbey College.

Please note this event is for nominated volunteers, and their nominees. The RSVP deadline has now passed.

Take a look at our video from 2023 to see what it’s all about:

Panda-monium at the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2024!

Ellis on 14 June, 2024

On Thursday 6 June, volunteers across Midlothian arrived at Newbattle Abbey College for our annual Midlothian Volunteer Awards. The night was a blast and we want to thank everyone who attended. It is a joy to celebrate the hardworking volunteers in Midlothian each year. We hope you all had as much fun as we did!

Photographs

Thank you to our wonderful photographer, Kris Soul Photography, for capturing the evening.

Click the button below to see photos from the awards ceremony:

View Photos

Programme

You can see the winners and nominations from the night in our awards programme:

2024 ProgrammeDownload

Mascot Campaign

In 2024, our mascot campaign is a little different. Each year we usually have a student placement who works with us to organise a competition and campaign with a brand new mascot. This year, we didn’t have a student placement but we couldn’t bear to have Volunteers’ Week without a mascot! We brought back mascots from previous years; Bramble the Bear, Pretzel the Panda, and Ringo the Rhino to keep the tradition going. Take a look at our campaign video down below.

We hope these mascots will find someone to look after them next year!

A BIG thank you to our generous sponsors:

EDF Energy

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Well Done You Ltd

Esk Valley Rotary Club

Midlothian Council

Newbattle Abbey College

Scottish Fire & Rescue Service

Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership

We can’t wait to see you all again for next year’s ceremony!

Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2023

Ellis on 9 June, 2023

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.

Video created by Ellis Paterson.

Thank you to our wonderful photographer, Kris Soul Photography, for capturing the evening.

Programme

You can see the winners and nominations from the night in our awards programme:

Mascot Campaign

Our student placement, Julianne, organised our Volunteer’s Week mascot competition this year. She produced this great video that shows our mascot on his journey to the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2023.

For the competition, we took name suggestions for our mascot from local schools and the winner was chosen by vote at the awards ceremony. The winner was the name ‘Ringo’, suggested by a child at Woodburn After School Club, who received £100, their own cuddly toy rhino and a winner’s certificate.

Video created by Julianne Nixon.

Chief Officer’s Speech

A Message from Forth One’s Boogie & Arlene

Thank You to Our Sponsors

EDF Energy

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Midlothian Council CLLE

Esk Valley Rotary Club

Police Scotland

Newbattle Abbey College

Scottish Fire & Rescue Service

Midlothian HSCP

Well Done You Ltd

Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2022

Ellis on 10 June, 2022

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.

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Winners & Nominees

The winners of the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2022 are as follows: 

  • Outstanding New Volunteer: Margaret McMekin from Transform Volunteering.
  • Befriender/Mentor of the Year: Alan Paterson from Thornton Rose Riding for the Disabled.
  • Active Volunteering and Climate Change: The Amazing Brains Committee, Art Club.
  • Service to the Community: Juliette Paris from Rosewell Community Council.
  • Health and Wellbeing Award: Margaret Canning from Hearing Link Scotland.
  • Dedicated Service: John McVeigh from Health-in-Mind.
  • Equality & Diversity: Joanna Haba from Home Link Family Support.
  • Saltire Summit Award: Sam Ewens, Lucy White, Andrew Hogg, Caitlin Chambers, Kari Calder, Jaylynn King.
  • Volunteer of the Year: Karyn Mcgrath.
  • Volunteering Team of the Year: Ageing Well Volunteer Team.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

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.