Press Archive

Alness Mothers Against Drugs scoops Community Life award

Alness Mothers Against Drugs, a group set up to support those affected by drugs misuse in the Highland’s town, has today, Thursday 8 December, won the Community Life category of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2005.

Malcolm Chisholm MSP, Communities Minister, presented members of the community group with the award at a ceremony held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, EICC.

In total twenty-six shortlisted community groups were represented at the annual awards, which this year attracted almost 100 entries from communities stretching the length and breadth of the country.
Now in their eighth year, the awards encompass every aspect of Scottish life, providing communities with an opportunity to gain recognition and reward for its efforts. Their aim is to stimulate local people to take responsibility for their communities and enhance them for common good.

In determining the outcome of the awards the judges sought best practices within communities, which could be used as examples for other communities throughout Scotland.

Commenting on the success of Alness Mothers Against Drugs, Hamish Husband, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Manager said, “Alness Mothers Against Drugs has shown tremendous spirit in their bid to tackle a problem that not only brings misery to those it affects, but one that has a knock-on impact on the community as a whole.
“The bravery and steely determination of these mothers in their vigilance and intelligence gathering to oust drug dealers from the area has been remarkable.

“Not only did the group challenge the problems of the community head on, they also set about re-educating and re-establishing those affected by drug misuse back into the community. Proving themselves to be very worthy winners of the Community Life category and the epitome of what the awards set out to achieve.”

Since launching in 1998 the awards, which are supported by Calor Scotland in association with Communities Scotland and backed by The Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC), The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) and The Robert Gordon University (RGU), have been entered by more than a third of all Scottish communities from the Borders to Shetland, as well as all the country’s major urban areas.

The award’s categories include environment, business, younger people, older people and community life, as well as a stand-alone award for community websites. Judging the awards were representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Business in the Community (SBC), Communities Scotland, the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and The Robert Gordon University and a Community Council Support Officer for a local authority.

For further information regarding the awards visit www.communityoftheyear.org.uk

December 06 , 2005

Notes to editors:

Full lists of winners, highly commended and commended communities, are available on the Community of the Year website at www.communityoftheyear.org.uk
Photographs are available on request from

Ashley Ross
The PR Partnership
tel 01224 588900
Ashley@prpartnership.co.uk

For further information and pictures contact:
Ashley Ross
Awards Co-ordinator
tel 01224 588900
e-mail ashley@prpartnership.co.uk Ashley@prpartnership.co.uk

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