Volunteering Angus youngsters have been held up as a shining example of the valuable citizens the youth of today can be.
Over five months this summer, the group have given their all to a Kirriemuir initiative led by Tayside Police community liason officer Pam Colvin and the hard work which has brought a bright smile to the face of the town’s elderly earned the young people major weekend recognition.
The 15 volunteers from secondary schools in Kirriemuir and Monifieth as well as one Cortachy Primary youngster have weeded and tidied gardens in and around the town, ensuring residents can again enjoy facilities around their homes and local sheltered housing.
Their work was the continuation of a scheme launched by PC Colvin last year, which from June to October also saw the group cut back overgrown hedging at Knowehead, tackle broom on Kirrie Hill and play a part in putting together the Peter Pan mosaic which will grace the new adventure play area there.
Litter picking was also part of the project and the group took the initiative a step further by organising a coffee morning which raised vital funds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. That money was handed over in a Saturday event at Eastern Division Police HQ in Forfar, where the youngsters’ commitment was celebrated with the presentation of Millennium Volunteer Award certificates from Volunteer Angus recognising their hard work.
Webster’s High youngsters Jamie Stork, Aimee Kilcoyne, Hilary Smith, Alix Shearer, Kathryn Stewart and Victoria Shearer all hit the target of 100 volunteering hours after returning to the project this year.
The remaining volunteers who racked up 50 hours were Catherine and Clare Colvin, of Monifieth High School, Madeleine Stork, Lynn Simpson, Ciara McKay and John Gibb of Webster’s High, Tom Colvin of Cortachy Primary School and Michael Hogg, who assisted Constable Colvin as a young adult volunteer.
Webster’s High youngster Ciara McKay also took part in the initiative and completed 24 hours of volunteer work, which will count towards her 50-hour target.GratitudePC Colvin said letters of thanks from local residents and the before and after photographs of some of the wilderness areas they had transformed could only tell part of the scheme’s success story.
“I cannot stress enough how hard the volunteers have worked and find it hard to express the effort the volunteers have put into this initiative,” she said. “I told them that I didn’t want them to feel this would be a walk in the park and they always came up with the goods.
“They approached this initiative with a lot of maturity and their behaviour throughout was impeccable. They have been a credit to themselves, their families and their respective schools.”
Eastern Division chief Superintendent Ewan West praised the young people and PC Colvin for the success of the scheme.
“I am sure there are many people in Kirriemuir who have seen the difference that has been made by the efforts of these young volunteers,” he said. “If we could replicate this across Angus, Tayside and farther afield, the society we are living in would be a better place.
“The amount of youth annoyance calls and the amount of vandalism in Kirriemuir is dropping off.
“It’s not at nothing and we will continue to address it, but we are bucking the trend in Angus through the work of officers like PC Colvin and the enthusiasm of the young people.”
Kirriemuir community council chairman Roland Proctor presented certificates from the body to the youngsters and PC Colvin, saying, “Pam is a great role model for the young people and the youth of today will be the Pam Colvins of tomorrow so her great example is something we should be very grateful for.”
Gary Malone of Volunteer Angus, in handing over the Millennium award certificates, said the scheme deserved every available plaudit.
“What has been done is absolutely fantastic. We hear so much about young people getting into trouble but this is something very different and very powerful for the future,” he said. “Pam is bringing out the best in young people and that is something really significant for Angus.”