Highland Heroes 2024: Green hero shortlist revealed – VOTE NOW!
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Here is the shortlist for green hero...
George Livingstone
Development manager at The Grantown Remakery, George Livingstone, has worked tirelessly to secure funding ensuring the charity not only supports the environment but supports local folk too.
The Remakery was set up in November 2019 to support young people and those with learning disabilities struggling to get into the workplace, develop skills in refurbishing and recycling household furniture, and build their confidence too. Three years in the planning, the charity was the brainchild of Pete Carson who, with George, transformed the idea into a hugely successful reality.
Today, The Remakery prevents around three one-tonne van loads a month of furniture going to landfill. The aim is to get the charity to run as a net-zero organisation.
Future plans also include becoming available to health services for social prescribing to help people with poor wellbeing, and providing support to Forces veterans.
A nomination praised George’s commitment: “George has worked tirelessly to find funders to help keep the project going. The walls have foam insulation, there’s secondary double glazing and the heating in the shop is an air source heat pump system. George’s commitment is an example to all.”
George was delighted to be nominated: “I feel honoured and thankful to the Remakery for giving me the opportunity.”
Emily Williams
Scotland's first Bicycle Mayor, Emily Williams, has been working hard to encourage more folk to use their cars less and embrace pedal power!
A passionate cyclist and campaigner, Emily also runs Velocity cafe and bike workshop in Inverness, and helps organise Kidical Mass bike rides in the city.
She was appointed Bicycle Mayor of Inverness by BYCS, and took up the volunteer post for a two-year term, campaigning in support of active travel in the Inverness area.
Emily’s aims in taking up the post were to encourage people to engage in consultations in support of active travel and encourage people in the cycling community to speak up in support of cycling.
She also wants to establish a play street scheme in the Highlands, where residents can apply to temporarily close their street to vehicles for a few hours so children can play freely and safely in the road.
In September last year, the idea was tried out with great success in Charles Street, Inverness and this year she is hoping to be able to hold the sessions on a monthly basis.
Emily was delighted to be nominated: “Being a campaigner can feel like you’re not making any progress so these nuggets of recognition give you the energy you need to keep going. It’s good to know that people have noticed what you’re doing and think it’s making a difference.”
Catrina Attwood
Helping to bring communities together through local environmental projects is Catrina Attwood of Incredible Edible Inverness.
Catrina, along with other volunteers, formed the local group during lockdown as a way for folk to reconnect outdoors and enjoy growing their own fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Catrina has always been interested in the environment and sustainability. She volunteered with RoWAN (Ross-shire Waste Action Network) on several initiatives, from efforts to minimise food waste to recycling, before forming the Inverness Incredible Edible group with fellow volunteers. Its aim is to introduce people to the idea of environmental sustainability and encourage communities and local groups to work together.
One event, as part of Climate Action Month, brought together a host of local groups to promote sustainability and celebrate a harvest of locally grown produce.
Incredible Edible Inverness has also collaborated with Inverness Foodstuff to grow fruit, herbs and vegetables at the Three Graces statues by the River Ness, and joined forces with Holm Community Council to establish a community garden, Holm Grown.
“Getting involved in green projects is something I’ve been enthusiastic about for a long time,” explained Catrina.
“I’d known about the national Incredible Edible project and I thought it would be exciting to do that in Inverness. It’s about trying to get more people involved and It’s just grown from there.”
Catrina admitted she was surprised to have been shortlisted for the green hero award: “It was a bit of a shock but nice!”
Pentland Ferries is sponsoring the green hero award.
Helen Inkster, managing director of Pentland Ferries, said:“We are delighted to be supporting the Highland Heroes of 2024. There are so many people that quietly create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of others. We welcome the opportunity to help celebrate these individuals that, together, help make our communities and the wider world a better place.
“Pentland Ferries is the first ferry operator in the UK to have achieved a Green Tourism Award, which recognises our commitment to sustainability and is a prestigious hallmark of our environmentally-sensitive practices and operation, so supporting the green hero category was an obvious choice for us.
“Our ships are very efficient in terms of fuel consumption and emission levels, we use local food suppliers, a wind turbine powers our ferry overnight, and we operate a range of waste-reducing and recycling initiatives which we encourage passengers to embrace onboard ship.
“We believe that every step towards supporting and protecting the environment for generations to come is an important one, so we urge you to vote for someone you believe is a green hero. There has never been a more pressing time to shine a light on, and make an example of, our green heroes.”
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