02
December
2014
|
23:00
Europe/London

BT volunteer wins grant for Inverness skaters

A BT homeworker from the Black Isle has been awarded £500 to donate to Inverness Skating and Ice Dance Club in recognition of her voluntary work with the club.

The grant has been awarded through the company’s employee recognition scheme, the BT People Awards. The scheme recognises and rewards BT’s volunteering heroes, who offer their time and skills to help people in their local communities, by providing grants to organisations in which they are involved.

Margaret McGowan got involved with the club after going along to a public skating session with her husband and daughter, although she had never skated before. After a few weeks watching from the sidelines she plucked up the courage to get her skates on and hasn’t looked back since.

She said: “This was something i could do with my daughter and make new friends. It also strengthened my legs following a car accident where I injured my right knee.”

Margaret, who works on business improvement for BT from her home in the Black Isle, is now secretary of the club which has 130 members from the ages of two to 65.

She added: “The £500 will go towards the purchase of new skates to enable more young beginners to join in the fun and replace skates which are approaching the end of their useful life.”

Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland, said: “The People Awards acknowledge the time and commitment that BT people across Scotland are giving to the local community groups for which they volunteer.”

UK wide, around 450 applications were received and 84 applicants received awards totalling £50,980. Applications were submitted by BT people from all over the world including Peru, India and Belgium. These included a wide range of community organisations from football clubs to police cadets to red squirrel protection, illustrating the wide variety of activities in which BT people are involved.

For more information and tfio see a complete list of the latest award recipients please visit:www.btpeopleawards.co.uk or see what BT can do to help charities by visiting:www.bt.com/charityportfolio.

ENDS


The Scottish winners are:

  • Oldmeldrum Sports & Highland Games, AB51 0ES £500
    • Edinburgh South FC, Gilmerton Road, EH16 5UD £700
    • Bonnyrigg Rose Boys Club, EH19 3AS £500
    • Inverness Skating and Ice Dance Club (Sunday Club), IV9 8RQ £500
    • 9th Ratho Cub Scout Group, EH288TT £500
    • Balmedie Scout Group, AB23 8WB £700
    • 44th Dundee Coy Boys Brigade, DD5 2HQ £500
    • Balmedie Leisure Centre, AB23 8YF £700
    • Cockenzie & Port Seton Amateur Radio Club, EH32 0EE £230
    • St Andrew Michael's Club (SAMs), G32 6QE £700
    • Freedom of Flight, PA16 8AL £700
    • Kingdom of Fife Group Advanced Motorists, KY2 6JP £700