Nominations now open for Young Scot Awards 2017 Volunteering award

Do you young people volunteering in your organisation amaze you with their dedication, energy and enthusiasm? If so, Young Scot would like to hear from you.

The national youth organisation is looking to hear from charities which have young volunteers making a big difference to the work of their organisation for its 2017 awards.

The Young Scot Awards aim to highlight the nation’s most inspiring young people and this year once again features a volunteering category.

So if you have a particularly special volunteer aged between 11 and 26 who selflessly donates their time and energy free of charge head over to the Young Scot website and submit their details at youngscotawards.com.

Held on 27 April in Glasgow, the awards are made up of 12 categories that celebrate young people from a cross-section of society including the worlds of sport, the arts and environment as well as volunteering.

Urging charities to nominate their volunteers, Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “Young people are making a phenomenal contribution to the volunteering sector in Scotland.

“Their hard work deserves to be recognised. That's why Young Scot is urging people in the volunteering sector to nominate young people that are going above and beyond to benefit the lives of others.”

Previous winners of the awards include Andy Murray, Paul Brannigan, Gordon Reid and Paulo Nutini.

Last year’s volunteering award winner was Alice Bowman who spent time volunteering at a Project Abroad programme in Cambodia where she worked with men and boys with mental and physical disabilities, some suffering from HIV.

Speaking ahead of this year’s awards, she said: “It was a huge honour to win the Volunteering Young Scot award last year. The response since I won has been incredible.

“The Young Scot awards are a fantastic opportunity for young people so please your nominations in!”