Category: Drylaw Telford

Inspirational Young Adult award for Craigroyston pupil

Josh Hardwick from Muirhouse has won the Inspirational Young Adult category at this year’s Edinburgh Evening News Local Hero Awards. Josh received his award at a star-studded gala event at the Assembly Rooms last night.

Craigroyston High School, where Josh is a pupil, also came runner-up in the Schools section.

Josh’s nomination read: “Josh is an active board member of Tenants and Residents In Muirhouse, North Edinburgh Young Peoples Forum and Volunteer at Muirhouse Community Shop.

“He engages with residents from all walks all life, assisting in the community shop on a weekly basis, Josh can often be seen helping with the Food bank distribution

“He is someone who understands the issues that residents face, he is very supportive to their every need when in the shop”

“As a board member of TRIM Josh brings an invaluable young person’s take on issues that we discuss, he is passionate about his community and will do anything possible to make the area better. He engages well with any groups / agencies that attend board meetings or visit the community shop”.

Congratulations, too, to Granton’s Terri Smith, who was runner-up in the Inspirational Young Adult category. Terri suffers from health problems but hasn’t let that stop her giving young people a voice through the Scottish Youth Parliament, where she represents Edinburgh Northern & Leith.

The Inspirational Young Adult was sponsored by the Omni. Centre manager David Edwards said: “We have chosen to support that category because it is important to recognise the amazing contribution young people are making to their communities”.

And so say all of us!

On a night of successes for North Edinburgh, Professor Mike Dixon, a world-leading expert in treating breast cancer, was named Health Champion.

Based at the Western General Hospital, Mike has worked as a specialist surgeon for more than two decades and leads a research team dedicated to understanding why the most common form of breast cancer becomes resistant to drugs, which helps give sufferers the best chance of survival possible. Professor Dixon said he was delighted but his joy was tinged with sadness because his mother, who recently passed away, could not be here to share in the night.

Congratulations also to  David Marshall and Thomas Lynch, founders of Dads Rock. The charity supports dads to spend quality time with their children and runs local sessions at both The Prentice Centre and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. Dads Rock won the Community Champion award (above).

Pilrig Park School was School of the Year, with Craigroyston High School runner-up, and Dean Reilly was runner up in the Fundraiser or Volunteer of the Year for his fundraising efforts on behalf of Leith-based MS Therapy Centre.

The top Local Hero award went to the late Jak Trueman. The fifteen year old from Mid Calder dedicated his last weeks to fundraising as he battled a rare form of blood cancer. He raised over £50,000 for leukaemia and lymphoma research and kick-started the fundraising for Team Jak before his untimely death in February. A worthy winner, indeed.