Morag Cook Provost’s Community Service Award 2011

Dec 15 2011 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A STONEHOUSE woman received a special Provost’s award for her accomplishments in volunteering in her local community.

Morag Cook, of Strathaven Road, was delighted when she was nominated by councillor Bill Holman for the Provost’s Community Service Award 2011.

Provost Russell Clearie presented Morag with her award at a ceremony in the banqueting hall at council headquarters in Almada Street, Hamilton.

Morag said: “I was both honoured and delighted to be nominated for this award by councillor Bill Holman and was most impressed by the awards ceremony in the banqueting hall held last month.”

Morag retired from teaching in 1997 and, since then, has worked as a volunteer in Stonehouse.

In 1997 she joined the WRVS and has been delivering meals-on-wheels for the last 14 years.

In 1998, Morag was appointed local organiser for WRVS and has continued in that role for 13 years.

Also in 1998, through her WRVS involvement, Morag became a director with Hamilton Council for Voluntary Services where she remained until 2008, when other community work began to keep her busy.

In 1999, Morag answered an advert in this newspaper for Therapet volunteers, and she later had her Scottie and Westie dogs, Whisky and Soda, registered as Therapets.

Together they visited elderly people in Stonehouse Hospital until, sadly, Whisky died in 2006. She hopes to continue this work with her new dog named Piper.

Morag also worked in the Christian Aid Shop for all of Christian Aid Week for 10 years.

Morag, also became a boardmember of Stonehouse Development Trust at its inception and remained until this year.

In this role, she took on the task of trying to secure the re-formation of Stonehouse Pipe Band, which broke up in the 1970s.

In January, 2007, assisted by piper Matt Steele piper and drummer Jim Schottner, the band was up and running. Matt and Jim took care of tuition and Morag set about trying to find funding.

The money required to provide uniforms and instruments for 23 members amounted to £23,000. And only three of the band members had ever played bagpipes or drums before.

The band played at Stonehouse Gala Day in 2008, before they had jackets and waistcoats, and it was a very emotional experience for Morag and all band members.

In October, 2008, the band was fully equipped with uniforms and instruments and ready to play at functions, both locally and in other areas, and still has a very full calendar during the playing season.

In 2009, Morag was one of a committee of three, with pipe major Matt Steele and Molly Casey, community councillor, who organised and ran Stonehouse Pipefest 2009 to commemorate the centenary of Stonehouse Pipe Band becoming World Champions in 1909.

Morag said: “The Pipefest was a great success and we still hope to try to make this an annual event but finding funding is proving difficult.”

In 2010 the band was invited to accompany another local organisation on a trip to France and Morag set about raising funds to make the trip as affordable as possible for all the members.

This was achieved and the band spent a weekend in Seclin and played at the Summer Festival and also managed to play at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, another very emotional experience for Morag, who laid a wreath on behalf of the band in memory of the war dead.

Morag is very proud of all the members of Stonehouse Pipe Band and what they have achieved in a very short time.

All band members appreciate the superb work that Morag has put in to make the band a success.

Morag said this week: “I have lived in Stonehouse all my life and am very proud and happy to serve my community and hope I will continue for many more years to come.”