Young heroes recognised

Lee Welsh (12) from Larbert, is a finalist in the Unsung Hero category for his hard work and incredible achievements, while Lauchlan Muir, also 12, of Bo’ness, is a finalist in the Young Hero category for his amazing fundraising.

In January last year Lee was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – an aggressive form of cancer.

A pupil at Larbert High and a member of Jonesy’s Boxing Club in Plean, he spent weeks in hospital not knowing if his chemotherapy treatment would work.

Wanting to help the other young patients he met in hospital, Lee auctioned the memorabilia he’d been given by his sporting heroes. Last year, three weeks after he was given the all-clear, Lee completed the Mini Mudder obstacle challenge and raised more than £4000.

Lauchlan, a pupil at Bo’ness Public School, has been fundraising since he was five and has raised more than £10,000 for Children in Need by posing as a floating human statue in shopping centres across the country. In November, the youngster won the first ever Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year award in recognition of his inspirational work and was presented with his award on the Children in Need TV programme.

Now in its 12th year, the Awards celebrate contributions and work across health, community, the arts and diversity. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow on April 27.

Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “This year we received hundreds of outstanding, inspirational stories of young people who go above and beyond to improve lives in their communities. Congratulations to all of the incredible finalists, we are so excited to give them the recognition they deserve and celebrate their incredible achievements!”

Bethany Wilson from the Young Scot Judging Panel, said: “We received outstanding nominations this year and this is reflected in the quality of the finalists. The stories we’ve heard are truly inspirational and I’m excited for the incredible achievements of our finalists to be showcased at the Young Scot Awards in April.”