Dedicated Culloden teenagers win golden hoodie honour for amazing volunteer efforts
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Culloden Academy pupils have received High Life Highland's highest award for volunteering.
Scott MacKay and Molly MacLaren have joined the exclusive gold hoodie club.
The prize is awarded to young people who have completed more than 500 hours – equivalent to more than 20 full days – of voluntary activity.
Both pupils have been heavily involved in sports leadership for young children, leading a range of activity sessions.
David Shaw, Active Schools coordinator for Culloden said: “Scott and Molly have been involved in the High Life Highland Leadership programme over a number of years and have shown exceptional dedication over this time to assisting and delivering sessions to school pupils across the local community.
“I have been in post as Active Schools coordinator for Culloden for just over a year and in this time I have been extremely fortunate to have Scott and Molly available at almost every opportunity presented to them to go out into the local schools and community to provide fun, engaging and free sporting opportunities for local children.
“When volunteering they are patient, confident and enthusiastic when dealing with the pupils, parents, school staff.
"The Culloden ASG (active schools group) is extremely lucky to have two young leaders as reliable and dedicated as Scott and Molly.”
Scott received his award at Cradlehall Primary where he has been leading the multi-sport club.
“It was in lockdown that I started a course online, the ‘choose to lead' course, which I saw on Facebook.
“I have volunteered for Highland Hospice – I have helped in the kitchen and also at the railway at Whin Park.
"I also do sports leadership at school which is helping out with younger kids and coaching them in different sports.”
Elizabeth McDonald, leadership programme development officer at High Life Highland said: “Scott’s leadership journey began with Active Schools, as he grew in confidence in the role he became ready to take on leadership opportunities in other sectors, which is where the Highland Hospice entered his story.
“We really value having such a special link with the hospice. An arrangement like this not only enables young leaders like Scott to gain valuable and unique deployment opportunities but also opens their eyes to a very valuable Highland asset, hopefully at a positive time in their lives, and not at a time of need.”
Maria Cuthbert, voluntary services manager at Highland Hospice added: "Scott has been volunteering with us since November last year when he joined us as part of Highland Leaders.
"Initially Scott volunteered in our Santa's Grotto and then spent three months helping in the kitchen at the hospice.
"More recently he has moved to a volunteering role at the Ness Islands Railway."
“It has been a real pleasure to watch Scott as he has grown in each of the roles to date and hope that he has enjoyed his volunteering experiences with Highland Hospice."
Proud mum, Laura Quipte told us a bit more about what it meant for her son to win a gold hoodie: “I am so proud, they don’t give out many of the gold hoodies. He has been collecting them along the way. You get a t-shirt for 10 tours volunteering, a blue hoodie for 25 hours, there's also a green one, a red one, there are lots! But the gold one is the ultimate one.”
After having been awarded the gold hoodie the obvious question is what is the next target for this pair?
Elizabeth McDonald, Leadership Programme Development Officer teased at what could be the youngsters next goal: "We are very proud of our award winning Leadership Programme and the Young Leaders who engage so enthusiastically across all areas of Highland.
“Scott and Molly are excellent role models and Ambassadors for the HLH programme, Active schools, Culloden Academy & The Highland Hospice and we congratulate them on their achievements so far.”
“We hope that both Scott and Molly remain engaged with the programme and maybe we will see him being one of the first to achieve the new Platinum level Hoodie, which will soon be introduced."
