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Inverness Girls' Brigade captain is made an OBE


By Val Sweeney

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Susan MacKenzie
Susan MacKenzie

THE long-serving leader of an Inverness youth organisation is among those recognised in the New Year Honours List.

Susan MacKenzie, the former captain of the 2nd Inverness Girls’ Brigade, has been awarded an OBE for her services to young people.

Miss MacKenzie, who has been involved with the Girls’ Brigade for 60 years, joins 1148 recipients including people from the worlds of business, entertainment and sport as well as hundreds of volunteers across the UK.

Ann Gloag, who owns Beaufort Castle near Beauly, was also among them having been made a dame for services to business and philanthropy. She was the co-founder of the Stagecoach transport group.

Miss MacKenzie received her letter in November informing her of the honour.

“I had to re-read it to make sure I read it correctly,” said the 63-year-old retired teacher,of Delnies Road.

She first joined the organisation as a four-year-old in 1959 and was commissioned as an officer in 1977.

Over the years, she has served in many roles within the Highland division, Scotland and Europe and was elected national president of Girls’ Brigade Scotland from 1999 to 2005.

Although she stepped down in April as captain of the company which meets at the city’s East Church, she remains actively involved.

Miss MacKenzie regarded the honour as a team effort.

“I am delighted and humbled as there are so many people who put so much work into a variety of things for young people who are as deserving if not more so than I am,” she said.

Miss MacKenzie was a PE and guidance teacher at Charleston Academy, Inverness.

Also honoured in the awards was Robert Davidson, chairman of the Friends of Hugh Miller, a charity which celebrates the legacy of the pioneering 19th century geologist from Cromarty. Mr Davidson, of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, was awarded an MBE.

Susan Anderson, the convener of the Highland and Moray Children’s Panel, received a BEM for services to the children’s hearing system in Scotland.


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