DUMBARTON & VALE OF LEVEN REPORTER, Tuesday, February 22, 2011

 

Unsung community

champions honoured 

 

Some of area’s unsung heroes have been recognised for their hard work throughout the community by being awarded Citizens of the Year.

 

On Tuesday, Provost Denis Agnew telephoned the winners from Dumbarton, Alexcandria and Clydebank to inform them of their achievement after an independent panel of judges had picked the deserving three winners.

The awards are set up to recognise people from across West Dunbartonshire who go the extra mile to help others and all nominations come from people throughout the area who volunteer someone they think deserves it.

The winners will now be invited to a civic reception next month where they will be given a trophy in recognition of their achievements.

June Galloway was named this year’s Dumbarton citizen of the year following nearly three decades working with a talking newspaper in the area, other voluntary and church work and her involvement with the Clydebank Life Stories project.

The 57-year-old former Ladyton Primary teacher said:

“I had a phone call from the Provost on Tuesday to congratulate me and to say well done. I’ve been reading the talking newspaper for 27 years and that’s something which I feel has been worthwhile.

Without it blind people in the area wouldn’t be able to hear the local news from the Reporter. It goes out regularly and I am part of one of several teams that read it.

More recently I have taken on volunteer duties in the Concorde Centre in Dumbarton. That involves working one-to-one with children and that’s something which I particularly enjoy as I was a teacher before and it’s something that I love. A lot of the work I’ve done has been with Clydebank Life Stories Group. It’s a non-profit writing group – we’ve had several publications and we’re a very vibrant group.

I have Multiple Sclerosis and that has affected my life. I would have done a lot of other things if I didn’t have this condition but I’ve managed to do everything I have in spite of having it.”

Isa McKenzie, who was one of the people who nominated June, said:  “She is an absolute gem of a person. She is a very clever person. She’s just work, work, work. She does a lot of work for her church as well and is an absolutely wonderful person. Nothing is too hard for her. I think she is a great example for anyone who has MS to show them what is possible. I can’t praise her enough, she’s one of the nicest people you would ever be fortunate enough to meet.”

The award for Alexandria citizen of the year went to modest Grace McDermid who has helped to raise money for countless charities as well as volunteering at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

The kind-hearted Vale resident, who organised the hospital’s tea bar, said:

 “I don’t know who nominated me. You don’t do anything to get awards. I was so taken aback. I’ve accepted it on behalf of all the people I volunteer with. I’ve been 13 years volunteering in the hospital and I organised the present tea bar. I’m also involved in my church.  I went to the ceremony last year when my cousin, Jim Murray, won the award last year and it was a very nice evening.”