Recognition for South Lanarkshire's young volunteers

Nov 26 2009 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

SOUTH Lanarkshire’s young volunteers have been honoured.

Among the teenagers taking the plaudits at the SoLVE Millennium Volunteer Awards were helpers at a number of voluntary organisations in Hamilton, Larkhall and Blantyre.

They received certificates presented by South Lanarkshire Provost Russell Clearie, Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Gilbert Cox and South Lanarkshire Council deputy chief executive Linda Hardie to mark their selfless work.

Some of the volunteers who received certificates for 50 hours’ service were: Cheryl McAllister, Taryn Hamilton, Stephen Jenkins, and Emma Shearer.

The 100-hour certificate went to Alasdair Wilson and there were 200-hour certificates for Ewan Kerr, Dawn Swinfen and Victoria Kerr.

Karen Young and Sarah Arbuckle were awarded 200-hour certificates for their work with Hyper Cyber, a youth internet cafe and IT facility in High Blantyre.

For their work with the Larkhall joint church’s initiative, Machan Trust, 50-hour certificates were awarded to Fraser Shaw and David Jenkins.

Hundred-hour accolades went to David Kane and Gordon Dalziel, and Vikki Strang was awarded a 200-hour certificate.

COVEY, a voluntary project which recruits, trains and supports volunteer befrienders for vulnerable young people in the seven-16 age group, were also helped and 50-hour awards were made to Laura McCann, and Steven Wright.

Receiving 100-hour certificates were Daryl Cochrane, Michelle McGrory, Nicole Boslem, Leigh Anderson and Kim Goldie.

Two-hundred hour certificates went to Yvonne McGregor, Lara McPherson, Mary Jane Rhodes, and Dannielle McLure.

A number of young people had worked with Victim Support who provide help for witnesses attending the court.

Receiving 200-hour certificates were Nicola Leitch, Karen Brown, Shabnam Hussain, Laura Mitchell and Stuart Douglas.

And 100-hour certificates for work with Universal Connections, Hamilton, went to Connor Maxwell and Stephen Morrell, while 200- hour certificates went to Sean Kelly and Jordan McCafferty.

Two-hundred hour certificates also went to Sara Farrukh and Stephen Crawley for their work with a joint project backed by Oxfam and the Scottish Youth Parliament, which aims to help young people comment on or bring change to their communities.