Queen's Award for Loch a Tuath News
Loch a Tuath News has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS). This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
The magazine has been published monthly since 1997, recording topical events and is a current record of that which becomes history.
QAVS said, ‘LATN is one of 244 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways in which fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.’
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2 June, the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a rural support group for farmers in Shropshire; a running club engaging all ages in County Tyrone, a film academy and community hub based in South Wales, and a food bank in Greater London feeding vulnerable individuals and providing training opportunities.
Mary Ann Graham, Chair of LATN, said: ‘We are delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award. The contribution made by the many volunteers involved in community groups throughout the Outer Hebrides is often unseen and it is important that the impact their hard work has on their communities is recognised. We are so thankful for our own dedicated volunteers and passionate Editor, without whom, the magazine could not be produced.
We would like to thank Dr Neil Davis for nominating us, and Ms. Kirsteen Maclean (Sgoil a’ Bhac) and Mr Murray Macleod (Stornoway Gazette) for supporting the nomination. We also appreciate the help of Deputy Lord Lieutenants Iain Macaulay (now Lord Lieutenant) and Annie MacSween for guiding us through the process over the last few months.’
Jayne MacArthur, Editor of the magazine, said: ‘We are over the moon to receive the QAVS award. It is recognition of the hard work that has been put into the magazine by every single one of our volunteers, past and present. To receive this award in the same year we were named Highlands and Islands Community Newspaper of the Year is quite overwhelming, but it is great for all those who are involved both now and who have been involved in the past to receive recognition for the hours they put in to produce a great quality publication enjoyed by many.
In the early days of the pandemic, in particular, we went to great lengths to ensure the magazine was published, sometimes having to deliver copies by hand as many of our volunteers had to shield.
Many living alone in our community valued the dependability of their copy. Collaborating with other local groups, such as the Community Council, enabled outreach into the community, identifying those who might be lonely and needing assistance. People who were unable to be contacted physically benefited from connectedness and retained a sense of being part of the community. The LATN is a fixture in many readers’ houses and has been a beacon of stability and contact for those isolated and anxious, and we will continue to do our best to serve our readers.’
Representatives of Loch a Tuath News will receive the award crystal and certificate from Iain Macaulay, Lord Lieutenant for the Western Isles, later this summer. In addition, two volunteers from LATN will attend a garden party at Holyrood in July 2023, along with other recipients of this year’s award.
