Dalmellington volunteer clears national award

Published 2 Dec 2009 08:30 0 Comments

A young volunteer who spent six months volunteering in the Galloway Forest , was last night (Tuesday 1st December) recognised for his achievements at ProjectScotland's prestigious awards ceremony, the Voscars.

James Wallace, 17, from Dalmellington was honoured with the Voscar for Nature, Rural and the Environment.

James' ProjectScotland placement with the Forestry Commission got him actively involved in conserving and improving the Galloway Forest . One of the most challenging projects that James worked on was the building of a black grouse viewing platform which has enabled the public to watch these rare birds in their natural habitat.

For James, the ProjectScotland placement came along at exactly the right time. He had just completed an Access to Building course at his local college but was unable to secure employment or a training place when the course ended. In his early volunteering days James had a shaky attendance record, was uncommunicative, lacked self motivation and had little confidence in his abilities. By the end of his placement, James had become a motivated young man, quietly confident about his abilities and achievements as a volunteer.

James' mentor, Betty Hill, has extensive experience of working with young people and was amazed by the transformation she saw in him: "The change in James is truly astounding - he is literally unrecognisable as the same person. The only comment I can add is that James is tangible proof that ProjectScotland does change lives - and they really have worked their magic with this young man."

Susan Watt, Chief Executive at ProjectScotland, said "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the achievements of our ProjectScotland Volunteers. Here at ProjectScotland we know that youth volunteering is a great way to keep young people engaged, build their skills and support their local communities. Our Voscar winners are great examples of how young people can change both their own lives and Scottish communities."

ProjectScotland's volunteer of Year Award went to Ryan Glen (21), from Dundee . Ryan was awarded the title of ProjectScotland Volunteer of the Year 2009 for his outstanding achievements in supporting and inspiring youngsters at a city centre project.

ProjectScotland is a national charity providing opportunities which help young people realise their potential through volunteering. The annual event celebrates the youth volunteering charity's most inspirational volunteers. In total, ten young volunteers and two mentors were recognised at the ceremony held in Edinburgh .

Since launching in May 2005, ProjectScotland has given opportunities to over 3,000 young people across Scotland , delivering 2.3 million hours of new voluntary work with over 300 not-for-profit organisations across Scotland .

Tweet

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  ******
  Dec 2, 09:05
  Report comment

  This comment has been removed by a moderator

Post a comment

Your Comment:

Registered users log in here

Username or email

Password

If you are registered with us, you can login here. If you are not registered, do so now.
Once logged in you wont have to complete word verification each time you post.

Prefer not to register?

Screen Name *required

Email (not displayed) *required

Usernames must be 4 - 20 characters. Registration only takes a few minutes. Registered users can also take part in competitions and other features of the site.

Word Verification:
Enter the text as shown.

Follow @cumnockchron

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.