BT volunteers win grants for Aberdeenshire good causes
Three groups share £1900 prize money
BT has rewarded three community groups in Aberdeenshire with grants totalling £1900 to help them continue their good work.
The grants have 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.
Balmedie Lesiure Centre scooped £700, as did Balmedie Scout group, while Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games won £500.
Aberdeen-based Openreach service delivery agent Bill Murray has been associated with the leisure centre for 15 years, the last four of them as chairman.
Bill said: “In a recent survey 60 per cent of our teenagers wished that they had a youth facility or a common meeting place of their own where young people attending the local academies could gather. The money will be used to purchase computing equipment to create a youth internet café, somewhere to go and meeting their friends in a friendly and safe environment.”
Ian Thomson, a transmission planner with Openreach in Aberdeen, became a cub leader 22 years ago and is the current Group Scout Leader, managing 22 leaders across the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
He said: “I’m looking to purchase activity equipment to provide a more sensory experience for our special members and help them, through more engaging activities, to get a similar experience to their more able peers.”
Keith Walker, a senior marketing manager with BT Global, moved to Oldmeldrum in 2003 and has been a member of the sports and Highland games organising committee since then.
He said: “We recently secured funding to replace our dilapidated pavilion, and when complete next Spring, we will require significant funds to provide essential internal facilities to enable its regular and effective use by local amenity groups such as children's clubs, local classes, creches, etc. Our aim is to ensure that the new pavilion will enable local community groups to flourish and more to be formed.”
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 to 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
