AFTER much deliberation, the Keir McTurk Memorial Committee have announced Mason Kidd as Cumnock’s Citizen of the Year 2017.

The 12-year-old had an outstanding year where he carried out 18 acts of kindness in memory of his brother Ross who would have been 18 on December 1, 2017.

Mason, who is also Cumnock’s Young Citizen of the Year for 2017, will be the youngest person to pick up the award at a presentation ceremony later this year.

The Cumnock Academy pupil was also the youngest nominee for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Awards in which he finished as runner-up to Anna Ferrer, a women’s rights and poverty campaigner in India.

Keir McTurk Memorial Committee chairman Colin Chisholm made the announcement yesterday (Tuesday).

Mr Chisholm said: “Following discussion on a number of nominations, the Keir McTurk Memorial Committee decided that Mason was very worthy of being made Citizen of the Year following the work he carried out during the year under the heading of Kidd Kindness.

“This was a project produced in memory of his late brother, Ross, who would have been 18 in December 2017 and was designed to produce 18 Acts of Kindness by Mason during last year.

“This culminated in fundraising during November in aid of Glasgow Children’s Hospital where Ross received treatment for his illness.

“Mason, age 12, is the youngest ever recipient of the award and the committee had some sympathy for the other worthy nominations who unfortunately came up against such an outstanding nominee on this occasion and hope that those who made the unsuccessful nominations will consider re-nominating next year.”

Mason had previously said that he just wanted to put a smile on people’s faces with his acts of kindness – which included delivering doughnuts to the Cumnock Police Station; leaving tennis balls for dog owners to play with in the park and taking pizzas to the local firefighters. His 18 acts also reached the small screen after TV news crews visited the area last month.