The continuing success of Angus organisations in the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service has been hailed at a Forfar presentation event.
Lord Lieutenant Georgiana Osborne spoke of her pride as she handed certificates to representatives of DD8 Music and Lippen Care.
And she applauded the two organisations for maintaining the area’s impressive reputation in the award scheme.
The award was established in 2002 to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and recognise the outstanding work of volunteer groups across the UK.
Widely regarded as the community equivalent of the MBE, the scheme has seen almost two dozen Angus groups nominated, with DD8 and Lippen Care joining a distinguished double-figure list of local winners.
“To even be nominated for the award is an achievement in itself, so to actually receive the honour is marvellous for both these groups and everyone involved should be very proud,” said the Lord Lieutenant.
DD8 Music was formed 11 years ago to provide a safe environment for local young people to make music and learn the art of recording, editing and mixing.
The group has inspired more than a dozen youngsters to go to university or higher education in pursuit of a music industry career, but DD8’s reach has also extended across the globe through other initiatives including a dementia playlist project and its organisation of the annual celebration of former AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.
BonFest now attracts thousands of fans from almost 30 different countries each year and the group was behind the successful £50,000 campaign to site a statue of the rock icon in the town.
Mrs Osborne said: “Run by a dedicated team of volunteers and an inspired development worker, DD8 have made a huge impact on their local community.”
For the last 12 years, Lippen Care has been providing palliative care to end of life patients at the Strathmore Hospice in Forfar’s Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre.
A large team of volunteers give their time to support patients, as well as family and friends of those in the hospice ward, with half a dozen befrienders also providing valuable support to palliative patients at home.
One visitor whose mother was admitted to the hospice in the final weeks of her illness described the Lippen Care volunteers as “angels sent from heaven”.
The Lord Lieutenant said: “As a fairly small rural community, Forfar is uniquely lucky to have such a modern hospice available to people suffering terminal illness.
“However, without the aid of the Lippen Care volunteers it would not function the way it does on such a very personal level.”
