Published on:
14
February 2014
Eight people have been selected as finalists to become the Clackmannanshire Citizen of the Year.
David Henderson, Marion Levett, Flo MacKenzie, Elma O'Neill, Evelyn Paterson, Gary Richardson, Evelyn Sillars and Keith Turner are the finalists, with the winner to be announced at a ceremony at Alloa Town Hall on 6 March.
David Henderson from Alloa has been actively involved in encouraging people to play cricket as part of Clackmannan County Cricket Club for over 50 years, including time as player, captain, groundsman and president. He has also had a long career as a teacher at Alloa Academy.
Marion Levett from Alloa has dedicated herself to community projects, including a group providing confidential support for women dealing with issues such as addiction and abuse. She also volunteers and fund raises for a number of local organistations.
Flo MacKenzie from Sauchie has shown commitment to improving the lives of local older people, through the Sauchie Pensioners of which she is treasurer, interim secretary and fundraiser. She is also active in many other community groups, giving her time in a variety of ways to help others.
Elma O'Neill from Alloa has been actively involved in Hawkhill Community Association both as a committee member and chairperson. She has also been involved in other local groups for over 30 years, taking time to help others in a number of practical ways, and has been chairperson and a committee member of Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau for a number of years.
Evelyn Paterson from Alloa has committed herself to supporting local people experiencing hardship, and has been insturmental in setting up a local foodbank, soup kitchen and community space. Evelyn also helps to support local volunteer groups through her role as a director of the Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface.
Gary Richardson from Alloa has been working in many ways to maintain and improve the environment of his local area. He works with organisations such as Keep Scotland Beautiful to clean up the local area, organising and taking part in many litter picks. He has also worked to secure funding for woodland walks to help improve access for local people.
Evelyn Sillars from Alloa has been an active part of the St Serf's school community for around 30 years. She has taken part in the school board, parent teacher association and now the parent council. Evelyn has dedicated time and effort to the community, organising popular events, fund raising and taking part in school trips.
Keith Turner from Sauchie is dedicated to his local village, and is the secretary of the Sauchie Community Group which he helped to found. He is involved in organising a number of groups for local people, including an art group, movie nights, and camping trips. He is also very involved in the Sauchie remembrance service, helping to ensure that the event is successful.
Provost Tina Murphy said: "These eight citizens have put in an enormous amount of dedicated service to their communities, helping to ensure that Clackmannanshire is a better place for everyone to live in, and they are worthy nominees."
The Citizen of the Year award is sponsored by the Lord Lieutenant's Trust and Glencairn Crystal.
The current Citizen of the Year is Linda McLeod. She won the accolade for her hard work and dedication towards raising awareness of lung disease and her work for the Breathe Easy group in Clackmannanshire.