After his son was killed in Afghanistan, Moray veteran Albert Duffus decided to devote the rest of his days to helping charities thrive.
Mr Duffus has been holding numerous fundraising events for the last 10 years to raise cash for good causes in memory of his son Mark.
Having served in the army himself for 24 years, he remained committed to supporting fellow veterans and ensure the sacrifice of every fallen soldier is never forgotten.
The 72-year-old has donated thousands to charities across Scotland – including Combat Stress, Veterans with Dogs, Poppy Scotland and Erskine Veterans Hospital (EVH).
One of the greatest highlights for Mr Duffus from Forres, was being presented with a 100 Heroes for 100 Years medal in recognition of his selfless efforts.
He has now also been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours with a BEM for his immense contribution to communities across the north and north-east.
He said: “When my son was killed in Afghanistan I decided to keep his memory going. I have been organising golf tournaments for him every year to raise money for different charities.
“And I just want to keep it going for as long as I can.
“I’m very honoured and delighted to get the BEM – but the support I’ve got from everyone locally and nationally has been invaluable to me.”
Contribution to the boxing
Mr Duffus is also well-known across the country for his tireless work to promote boxing to youngsters, holding annual sport events for charity.
He formed the Lochside Amateur boxing club, which produced a number of Northern District and Scottish champions, and is former president of Amateur Boxing Scotland.
During his time as president and as chairman of the Northern District Amateur Boxing, Mr Duffus led the Scottish national boxing team on tournaments all over the world.
He added: “I used to box in Forres when I was a junior and then in the army as well. And when I came back to Moray, I took over the club and ran it for 15 years.
“What I find really rewarding is seeing the youngsters gain that confidence that they can look after themselves. It’s been fantastic.”
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