Larbert volunteer wins national award for dedication to helping older people

Margaret Berry from Larbert and Stenhousemuir Age Concern was awarded Age Scotland's Volunteer of the Year award at a ceremony in Glasgow for the work she has

done for older people in the Falkirk area since 1978.

In the early days, Margaret, a working mother of two, began by calling round older people in the area to find out if they required disability aids.

For the past 15 years she has been Larbert and Stenhousemuir Age Concern’s treasurer – a role that made good use of her skills as a professional bookkeeper.

Margaret said: "One of the nicest surprises of my life was when I was told that I was to receive an award for being a volunteer with my local group of Age Scotland. It took me some time to come to terms with being honoured with an award for doing something which had become a huge and very enjoyable part of my life.

"Over the years I have made many friends and enjoyed happy and even some not so happy times, but being a close knit group we have learned to help each other, I like to think successfully.

"The many jobs I have taken on as a committee member have been varied but each one brought its own rewards. A huge thank you to Age Scotland for helping me to live a full and useful life."

Also an excellent baker, Margaret has provided catering for many of the group’s most popular events, including the weekly social hour.

Age Scotland’s mission is to inspire, involve and empower older people in Scotland, and influence others, so that people in Scotland enjoy better later lives.

Volunteers like Margaret help the charity towards this aim.

Brian Sloan, Age Scotland chief executive, said: "I am delighted to present Margaret Berry with the Volunteer of the Year award. She has dedicated herself to improving the lives of older people in her area for 44 years now, doing everything from bookkeeping to baking.

"I also know that during the pandemic, when the group sadly lost some members to COVID-19, Margaret attended as many of the funerals as she could, which meant a great deal to the bereaved families."