An Elgin charity which prides itself on giving a voice to vulnerable people has been rewarded for 10 years of effort with a generous funding boost.
The Moray branch of the Advocacy North East group has received a £5,000 grant from the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation to ensure it can continue well into its second decade.
Volunteers at the organisation’s base in Elgin’s Maisondieu Road business centre help vulnerable members of society to address any problems they are having, most commonly with health and social work services.
Service co-ordinator Lesely Fraser said securing the funding will help her and her colleagues provide assistance to more users.
She said: “What we do is offer people support to make sure they get their voices heard, when they might struggle to otherwise.
“We do what we can to represent their views, particularly to those in social and health care.
“We don’t judge as to whether it’s the right thing or not, but we help people say what they want to say.”
She added: “The grant from the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation will be a massive help to us, it will enable us to produce marketing material to help us reach a wider audience, without dipping into our own limited budget.”
Kay Jackson, of the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation, added: “The team at the Moray base is providing a very valuable service to many vulnerable people in our local area.
“We are pleased that the funding provided will help the team extend this support.”
The group will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, August 26, at Elgin’s Laichmoray Hotel.