Young volunteers between the ages of 12 and 27 attended a special ceremony organised by Volunteer Centre Shetland on Friday 7th September. Bill Howat, Chair of Volunteer Development Scotland, presented MV Awards and Certificates in Participatory Democracy to young people during the event at the new Shetland Museum and Archives at Hay’s Dock in Lerwick.
Twenty young people received MV Awards for volunteering at the event, which was attended by over seventy people. MV Awards are available for volunteers aged 16 to 25 who complete 50 and 100 hours of volunteering, with the longest serving volunteers receiving the 200 hours Award of Excellence.
- Nine young volunteers were awarded the Award of Excellence, a local record for Shetland. These were:
- Natasha Bruce, who has volunteered with COPE Ltd at the Soap Company Shop and at their headquarters in Gremista
- Vicki Henderson who has been volunteering with Lerwick Junior Netball Club, Shetland Junior Netball Development Group and the Junior Inter County team
- Lynsey Henderson who volunteers with the Clickimin Pool Training Squad, the Lerwick Amateur Swimming Club and the Shetland Ladies Hockey Association
- Oscar Kelly who volunteered with Moving On Employment Ltd on the Rocks to Roses work crew and at the NAFC Marine Centre
- Gemma Mann who volunteers as a Dancing Assistant with the Shetland School of Highland Dancing, as a Peer Support volunteer at Anderson High School and also volunteered as a classroom helper at Bressay Primary School
- Lizzie Nicolson who volunteered as a Tutor at Drumjamm and with the Shetland Youth Wind Band as a Youth Leader
- Leanne Nicolson who volunteers as Secretary of the Youth Voice Executive and as a member of the Scalloway Gala Committee
- JP Parsons who is a Volunteer Tutor with Drumjamm
- Martin Summers who volunteers with Feet First Dance Group
- Seven volunteers on the Shetland Young People’s Panel received their SCQF Level 5 Qualification in Participative Democracy at the event on Friday. These were Lyndsay Cheyne, Fiona Dally, Naomi Johnson, Lauren Kelsey, Liam Lewis, Laura Saunders and Martha Thomson. Zak Bevan, Leona Cheyne, Nairi Gallant and Scott Mitchell have also achieved their Certificate, but they were unable to attend the event.
After the formal presentation of awards and certificates young volunteers and their friends and families enjoyed a real treat, with an exceptional performance from Rummel, a local band of young people, which includes amongst it’s members Lizzie Nicolson, who had just received her MV Award of Excellence.
Volunteer Centre Shetland would like to thank all the staff at the Shetland Museum and Archives and Restaurant for helping to make the event such a success, and Bill Howat for travelling through the fog to Shetland to present the Awards.