Outstanding Ullapool volunteers receive royal nod with top honour

THE outstanding work of Wester Ross volunteers in creating a "gem" at the heart of their community has been recognised by the Queen's representative in the area with the highest award of its kind in the UK.

Ullapool Museum stalwarts have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

It was presented by Janet Bowen, Lord Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, during a special tea party to mark the occasion.

She said: "Ullapool is full of amazingly talented and skilled people. This museum project has released those skills to the benefit of the community as a whole. It has also allowed the museum community to offer kindness, affection and friendship and to give a sense of achievement – while creating a gem in the middle of Ullapool.

"This is a celebration of many long hours of hard voluntary work by a huge number of the community. It is a celebration of inspired leadership and community involvement. It is a celebration of remarkable fundraising, including yards of baking and gallons of soup. It is a celebration of many skills including carpentry, electrical and plumbing, – IT, literary, artistic and people skills. It is also a celebration of generosity."

Chairwoman of Ullapool Museum Trust Ellie Ing said: "We are so delighted to be awarded this wonderful accolade. We would not have achieved this had we not had the support and help from the local community and the dedication and hard work of our volunteers who have sought to present and preserve our local story for the past 24 years."

Representatives from the museum will attend a garden party at Holyrood House later this month, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation in 2003. It is the highest award given to volunteering groups across the UK for outstanding work done in their local communities.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.