Falkirk's High Street Heroes for 2020 revealed

Scotland Loves Local High Street Heroes honours for the remarkable ways in which these people have helped their communities throughtout a difficult year.

Taking pride of place as the regional champion for Falkirk is Jamie Swinney and Stenhousemuir Football Club’s Community Help Initiative – a scheme which aims to support the most vulnerable in the community with tasks they may not be able to fulfil due to coronavirus.

Mr Swinney, who is chief executive of Stenhousemuir Football Club, paid tribute to the scores of volunteers who made the Community Help Initiative such a success.

He said: “It’s certainly very nice to receive recognition for this, but I would make it clear from the very start it’s all due to the huge team of people who have help us achieve what we have achieved with the initiative.

“The Community Help Initiative is something the club is very proud of. We recruited over 200 volunteers who worked along with staff at the club to help us deliver the aims of the initiative.

“And it’s still going strong – it’s never stopped. I think at the peak we were delivering services to around 350 families and households. That’s down to around 90 households now, which has been the case for around the last two months, and we continue to provide support for them.”

Earning highly commended status is Lori Duigan of Grangemouth’s NU2U furniture initative, Elaine Grant of Falkirk Delivers and former Grangemouth Bowhouse Newsagent shop owners Ghulam Farid and Shagufta Shamim.

This year’s High Street Heroes are:

Asiyah & Jawad Javed (Day Today Express, Stenhousemuir); Gillian Monaghan (Boots, Falkirk); John Jamieson (Bitsy Paper, Falkirk); Sheona McMorran and volunteers (KLSB Community Pantry); Stefanie Findlay (Little Reds Aesthetics, Falkirk); Volunteers at Falkirk Safebase; Sweets and Things (Bo’ness); The Fork and Mustard (Falkirk); Fruit Basket (Stirling Street, Denny); Kersiebank Community Project (Grangemouth) Royal British Legion Scotland Grangemouth Branch and The Sanam Restaurant (Falkirk).

Scotland Loves Local is spearheaded by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) with the support of the Scottish Government to help the country’s response to the pandemic by urging people to think local first for all their shopping and service needs.

Former Grangemouth shopkeepers are now High Street Heroes

STP chief officer Phil Prentice, said: “The dedication with which people across Scotland have supported those around them during the pandemic has been remarkable. We’re delighted to shine a spotlight on the amazing difference that our High Street Heroes have made and thank them for all they have done.

“They are an inspiration – local people helping their communities and customers like never before. They highlight the vital part that high street businesses play in our lives and why we must support them to ensure they continue to be there for us.”

Scotland’s Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell added: “The fact that these awards received more than 1200 nominations just shows how much people have appreciated those who have pulled together to help one another.”

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