And the winner of the P&J minibus competition is…
Nearly 140 community groups across the north and north-east took part, backed by an army of supporters.
For weeks, they collected copies of the Press and Journal and busied themselves cutting out tokens – all with the hope of winning the prize: a 17-seater minibus.
And today, we can finally reveal the winner of the hugely popular competition.
The 1st Methlick Scout Group – which is finding out for the news for the first time today – collected almost 4,000 tokens to boost their chance of success – thanks to the help of mums, dads, grannies, friends and neighbours.
Led by Keith Hewitt, there are about 80 youngsters of all ages within the group, including beavers, cubs and scouts.
And with their new minibus, they will soon be able to hit the road to try out an array of new activities and enjoy outdoor adventures further afield.
The group previously said the new vehicle will help them to follow the official Scout Association’s mission statement – to help young people achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential.
A total of 135 community groups from across Grampian and the Highlands took part in this year’s competition, sponsored once again by Nexen.
They collected tokens published in the P&J, with 50 needed per entry form.
Groups could enter as many times as they liked, meaning the victorious Methlick Scout Group had nearly 80 entries in the draw.
They were drawn out as winners during a special ceremony at Nexen’s offices in Kingswells, and will soon be handed the keys of the Ford Transit from AM Phillip.
Scott McGinigal, the chairman of Nexen’s donation’s committee, said: “It’s important to Nexen that we improve the communities where we live and work, and initiative such as this really help local communities.
“This will be a huge boost for the scout group, and will increase the amount of opportunities they can offer to young people, so I’m sure they will get a lot of use out of it.
“Hopefully this will open up a wide range of activities that would have previously not been available to this group, and although unfortunately there can only be one winner, I’m really pleased it has went to them.”
Richard Neville, the editor-in-chief of the Press and Journal, said: “This is a very worthy group, and this minibus will make a real difference to them.
“It’s a wonderful initiative, and a great way of reaching out to community groups and giving them the opportunity to get their hands on something they wouldn’t usually be able to afford.”