An awards ceremony paying tribute to the “unsung heroes” of a flood-hit Aberdeenshire community will take place next month.
The inaugural Spirit of Ballater Awards has been organised to pay tribute to the efforts of volunteers who have gone the extra mile for their friends and neighbours in the Deeside village from 2015 into 2016.
Locals are being asked to nominate those whose actions for the community have inspired them the most by Saturday.
In the wake of the Storm Frank floods – which devastated homes and businesses in Ballater on December 30 – locals, including groups and businesses, pitched in to help each other out.
The awards will also pay tribute to the local people and organisations working all year round to keep Ballater alive and kicking.
Aileen Longino organised the Spirit of Ballater Awards through her role as a local development officer at Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action.
Mrs Longino said: “We were flooded as well and experienced first hand the huge volunteering input from local people, and all over the place, that came out and helped.
“I know people are still getting a lot of help in Ballater. From a personal point of view I thought, wouldn’t it be good if we could recognise all the volunteering happening across the area?
“There are hundreds of unsung heroes, businesses, individuals, community groups and emergency responders.
“But there is also loads of volunteering going throughout the rest of the year. We wanted to capture all of that. There is so much stuff going on, I am quite flabbergasted at the level of community support.
“For example there is the Etape Royale coming up and that is manned by masses of volunteers. The Victoria and Albert Halls in Ballater have also got a wonderful team of volunteers. And there is the Ballater Charitable Chiels, they have done a huge amount of fundraising and support.
“It is people who want to do that bit extra, it is these people we want to recognise.”
There are four awards categories: young volunteer (aged under-18), individual volunteer, local voluntary community group and emergency services organisation with volunteer staff.
To vote, forms can be picked up at Ballater Library, HM Sheridans butchers, MacNab, Brakeley Gift Room and Yules.
The ceremony will take place in the Victoria Hall on Saturday, October 1 at 1pm.
