Read all about Clydesdale's awards winners!

The good thing about the web is that you get a lot more space than you would ever have got in a newspaper!

South Lanarkshire Council has given awards to 11 Clyesdale groups and individuals for their service to the community, but without producing a separate supplement, we would never have been able to list all the voluntary work they do.

But on line, the space is limitless, so here is much more about what these people with their merited awards do!

Ian Wallace

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Ian has made an outstanding contribution to the voluntary sector over the past ten years.

For several years he was involved with the Friends of Lanark Museum, but for the past eight years he has been voluntary treasurer with the Friends of Volunteering in Clydesdale. During those eight years he, a volunteer, handles the finances of a large project helping people in the community with their energy bills and consumption.

He has, for the past two years, run and organised talks on history and archaeology for Primary Schools. This has proved a great success due to Ian sorting materials and photographs for the young people to handle. Altogether over 600 children have heard about the past from Ian whether it is about agriculture in the Clyde Valley or the First World War.

Thomas Yates

Thomas has played an important part in the community of Lanark especially with his work with Lanark Boys’ Brigade. Indeed he was responsible for setting the Boys Brigade up in 2003 and they now meet every week except in the holidays.

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Thomas has continued to play a very important part in running the Brigade throughout this time.

Apart from instilling Boys’ Brigade values into the minds of hundreds of young boys, he has organised events such as trips and Christmas parties for them. All these activities have helped the youngsters to be thinking and caring people.

Apart from his involvement with the Boys’ Brigade, Thomas has shown a considerable interest in heritage and has over the past five years contributed to the Lanark and District Archaeological Society’s project “The History and Archaeology of Clydesdale”. Finally he has now become a committee member of the Archaeological Society.

Mary Mitchell

Mary has been involved in numerous local organisations in Douglas throughout her life and remains active in many to this day. Most particularly she was involved with Douglas Guides for 50 years and for most of this time she was the Guide Captain (Leader). She is still an office bearer in the local Guide Association. Mary has been involved in the Douglas Heritage Society from its foundation in the 1970s (initially known as the Douglas Amenity Society). She began as Secretary but for most of the time she has been Treasurer and remains in this role today. She takes her turn as a volunteer in the Douglas Heritage Museum.

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Mary also served as Treasurer to the Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Group in the first few years of its existence.

Mary has been a committee member of the Douglas Horticultural Society for many years and is actively involved in the running of Douglas Flower Show which of course is a major event in the village calendar.

Mary was involved behind the scenes with the Douglasdale Players’ Panto group for over 35 years and acted as Treasurer for much of this time. She is an active member of Douglas Valley Church and an enthusiastic contributor to the work of St Bride’s Guild.

James Blackie Smith

James was a Cub, Scout and Group Scout Leader between 1972 and 1982 and a member of the Douglas and Glespin Community Council for the last seven years and Chairman for the last 3 years.

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He is a founder member and instigator of the Douglas Play Park Group acquiring funding of £196,000 to complete the project. He is also a founder member of the Douglasdale Real Group an Environmental and Leisure Group involved in Tidy Up’s and Litter Uplifts from around the village and also repairs and improvements to local pathways and “rights of ways”. Also involved with the local Pop Festival “Gig in the Grounds” run by the Real Group.

Working with the Community Council they acquired funding of £11,800 from the War Memorial Trust to refurbish the local War Memorial.

James has been a keen exhibitor in the local flower show. For the past 40 years James has been president of the local Curling Club and was secretary for two years at the time of the Bi-Centenary.

James is a member of Douglas Gala Day Committee and has been involved in it for over 30 years.

Margaret Tweedie

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Margaret has been involved in many Douglas organisations over the years and continues to be active in many of them.

Margaret was a Brownie Leader for at least 30 years and has served as an office bearer in the local Guide Association.

Margaret was one of the founder members in the 1970s of the Douglas Amenity Society (which became the Douglas Heritage Society). She initially served as Treasurer but for many years held the post of secretary. She remains on the Committee of this group and takes her turn as a volunteer in the Museum.

Margaret has been very much involved with the Douglasdale Players for over 30 years and for much of this time was one of the performers on stage.

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She is active in the Ladies Section of the Douglas Victoria Bowling Club.

Margaret plays an active role in the work of Douglas Valley Church.

She has also played her part in the running of the Douglas Flower Show for many years.

Carluke Day Centre for the Elderly

This group plays an important part in the town and it has been operational for about 50 years. It offers friendship and for many in the group it has been a great way to still enjoy parties, day trips and holidays for their families. It is nice to know that their parents or relatives can enjoy themselves in safety and friendship. The Committee of the Club work hard throughout the year on behalf of their members.

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Life can sometimes feel quite lonely for older people who might, at certain times, feel isolated or vulnerable. The day centre works to combat loneliness and isolation so that the older people who participate have a sense of friendship and belonging.

Carluke Seniors Forum Committee

The Carluke Seniors Forum Committee does a sterling job for seniors in the area and arrange speakers, outings, festivals and social events. They have been in existence for 10 years. Although the Forum provides social events it also has speakers on various subjects which affect elderly people, dementia, road safety, home safety, money matters to name but a few.

The events and outings organised by the Committee mean that the seniors who attend have something to look forward to and something they can really enjoy as well as allowing them to make new friends.

Lynne Steer

Lynne works tirelessly for the children of Lanark and any child who visits the area. She has been integral in new play parks that have been set up around the town making them places children and families want to be which is so important for the health and wellbeing of young people and their parents.

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Lynne is also the leader of St Nicholas’ Playgroup and Toddlers Group which is so important for many of the young families in the area.

She not only works with the children and families but fundraises constantly to ensure this valuable resource remains. She is also involved in the tennis club in Lanark. Lynne works so hard and never asks for any thanks she just loves what she does and has the children of Lanark at the centre of it all. Lynne has been on the Robert Owen PTA and Lanark Scouts.

Lynne does all this on top of being a mum to 3 boys. Lynne was made a Burgess of Lanark in 2015 in recognition of all the work she does within her community.

Elizabeth McGarva

Elizabeth has worked tirelessly for various charities throughout the area for over 20 years. Namely the Dogs Trust, the Little Haven, Five Sisters Zoo and knitting dolls and dressing them for various charities and fundraising events. Elizabeth works in the local chemist and goes above and beyond her duties to deliver prescriptions to people who are unable to collect themselves.

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Elizabeth has worked behind the scenes over the years without looking for recognition but I feel this award would be very fitting for Elizabeth for all the charity work she does. (Elizabeth was unable to attend the presentation.)

Eleanor McLean

Eleanor has been a member of the Royal Burgh of Lanark Community Council for more than 10 years now. Eleanor is also a member of the Development Trust and has been very active with various projects.

Eleanor has developed booklets for walks in and around Lanark and has single handily distributed these booklets to venues throughout the area and outwith our area such as at Glasgow tourist attractions.

Eleanor is available to take tourists in our area around the town explaining all the various sites and although she charges a small fee for this it goes straight into “the next project”.

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She recently arranged for Duck and Swan food to be sold at the Lanark Loch to ensure the correct food was going to them from the visitors. She is also a volunteer on a new project working with pupils from Lanark Grammar which involves taking digital photographs of the old graves which most people would not be able to read and cataloguing them for the future – this is in partnership with Historic Scotland and the Archaeological Society in Lanark.

Eleanor is instrumental in helping with various local events throughout the year the latest being our Winterfest Programme which was very successful this year. She organises the Festive Taste of Lanark which was her idea and has been running now for over five years.

Ronald Muirhead

In 2010, Ronnie retired after 42 years in Local Government. He’d always had an interest in homeless issues and looked around for voluntary work in this area. Some of the churches had set up a drop-in centre in Hamilton where those people in unfortunate circumstances could call in and get a hot meal, laundry facilities and replacement clothes etc. Ronnie personally provides and pays for meals for homeless people at the drop-in centre, which caters for about 15 to 20 people a night and is open 365 days a year.

While attending the men’s breakfast (run on the 1st Saturday of every month), Ronnie heard about “New Beginnings”, a charity to help those of limited means in their first tenancy.

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Ronnie ended up running the furniture side, arranging uplift of donations or unwanted furniture and delivery to those clients referred by the various agencies.

He is a trustee on the local food bank committee and picks up donated goods from his local church and supermarket on a weekly basis.

Ronnie does not front anything, but is always there, working and supporting despite being on crutches for the last two years due to severe arthritis.

His determination and resolve to help others can be best illustrated by the fact that within two weeks of having a successful hip replacement he travelled on the local bus service to the food bank to sit and pack boxes.