Tag: George Watsons College

Eric Liddell’s legacy lives on

‘THE FLYING SCOTSMAN’S’ INSPIRING STORY IS CELEBRATED AT THE NATIONAL ERIC LIDDELL AWARDS

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, presented eight winners with the National Eric Liddell Award, with Eric Liddell’s daughter and Scottish Rugby Icon, Chris Paterson, in attendance.

On Friday, November 1, 2024, over 360 guests gathered at George Watson’s College for the National Eric Liddell Awards presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The awards celebrated some of the outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to Scotland’s athletics, sports and community work.  

The Eric Liddell 100, which is led by The Eric Liddell Community, partnered with four other organisations throughout 2024 – Scottish Athletics, Youthlink Scotland, Scottish Rugby, and Scottish Disability Sport to honour individuals who have demonstrated the charity’s core values of passion, compassion, and integrity. 

Throughout the year, 100 individuals have been recognised with ‘Eric Liddell Recognition Awards,’ receiving a unique pin badge and certificate. Each of the five organisations nominated one individual to attend the National Eric Liddell Awards with Jamie Murchie from Largs Academy nominated by Scottish Rugby, Luke Davidson of Inverness Harriers nominated by Scottish Athletics, Orlagh MacIver from the Black Isle nominated by Youthlink Scotland (above), Andy Biggar from Edinburgh nominated by The Eric Liddell Community, and Ron McArthur, from Forth Valley nominated by Scottish Disability Sport. 

Additional awards were also presented during the evening by the event’s Gold Sponsors Optos, with The Optos Science and Technology Award being awarded to The Data Education and Schools Project, run by The University of Edinburgh and received by Professor Judy Robertson and Jo Spiller.  

Scottish Olympians, Eilish McColgan and Stephen McGuire were also recognised with Eric Liddell Sporting Achievement Awards, recognising Eilish’s participation in four Olympics and Stephen’s Gold Medal success in the Paris Paralympics this summer.  

Launched by The Eric Liddell Community charity, The Eric Liddell 100 campaign honours the centenary of The Flying Scotsman’s famous Olympic Gold medal in Paris 1924, 100 years on, celebrating the life, sporting and community service achievements of one of Scotland’s iconic figures through a series of initiatives, events and activities, with the final event of 2024 being the National Eric Liddell 100 Awards. 

The awards were hosted by Sally Magnusson – respected broadcaster and author of ‘The Flying Scotsman: The Eric Liddell Story’ – and sports broadcaster David Tanner.

Throughout the evening, Sally Magnusson shared stories behind the creation of her brilliant book on Liddell, ‘The Flying Scotsman’, nodding to important people in attendance on the evening, including Patricia Liddell Russell, Eric’s Daughter, and Sue Liddell Caton, Eric’s Niece. 

John MacMillan, Chief Executive Officer of The Eric Liddell Community, said: “The National Eric Liddell Awards were an incredible finale to what has been an unforgettable year celebrating Eric Liddell’s legacy.

“We were absolutely delighted to honour the eight award winners at the National Eric Liddell Awards and thrilled to have such esteemed hosts, along with the presence of our Patron, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, to mark this special occasion. 

“This is the first year of these awards, and we hope to make this a bi-annual tradition, continuing to commemorate Eric Liddell’s legacy.”  

In her welcome message for the National Eric Liddell Awards Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, said: “As Patron of Eric Liddell 100 it has been a pleasure to recognise and celebrate the life, sporting and community service achievements of one of Scotland’s and the UK’s most remarkable individuals, ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Eric Liddell.

“The 2024 Olympics took place in Paris, 100 years since his Gold medal success at the 1924 Games in the same city. This provides us with an opportunity to remember, and share, his remarkable story.

This celebration highlights not only his sporting achievements but also his life, beliefs, and the legacy he left behind, which continues to inspire people around the globe.” 

As the centenary year of Eric Liddell’s Gold medal win in the 1924 Paris Olympics comes to an end, the work accomplished in 2024 will ensure that Eric Liddell’s Legacy will live on for generations to come.

To find out more about Eric Liddell 100 please visit: 

https://ericliddell.org/the-eric-liddell-100/  

Hair today … College staff and students get the chop to support children with cancer

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Edinburgh College Rapunzels have let down their hair for a good cause and donated their locks to make wigs for child cancer patients who have lost theirs.

Students from HN Sport Therapy and Fitness, Health and Exercise courses joined their lecturers to have the chop to help children’s charity the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.

Lecturers Laura Craig and Louise Ball, Louise’s sister Denise Farrell, and five students went under the scissors to donate at least eight inches of their hair each. Altogether, they gave two metres of hair to the charity.

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Laura Craig said: “Donating their hair was a scary thing for most of my students because they have had long hair all of their lives. I think everyone looks great with their new haircuts, especially Louise, whose hair hasn’t been this short since she was a teenager. We are now trying to raise money to help pay for the wigs to be made.”

Students from the Level 3 Hairdressing course provided the haircuts under the watchful eye of their lecturer Rosemary Martin, and also styled the newly shorn hair at the Granton Campus training salons. This follows a great run of community engagement by hair and beauty students last year, which included last year’s Level 3 students helping George Watson’s College pupils with their own Little Princess Trust donations.

Each Little Princess Trust wig costs £350 to make, and the charity relies on donations to help make these. To make a donation in support, visit Laura’s fundraising page www.justgiving.com/laura-craig4 or the Little Princess Trust.

Pictured: 

(Top) Edinburgh College lecturer Louise Ball and her sister Denise Farrell show off their donations.

Hairdressing students Gillian Muir (right) and Amy Lothian (left) gave haircuts to sports and fitness students Kelsie Boyle and Shannon Leishmann (centre).

Hair today …!

Edinburgh College students help George Watson’s pupils donate hair to charity

Little Princess EventEdinburgh College hair and beauty students have been using their scissor skills to chop George Watson’s College pupils’ hair to help make wigs for children with cancer. The students visited George Watson’s to cut the pupils’ hair in aid of the charity the Little Princess Trust.

The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs to children with hair loss due to cancer treatment. Two members of staff and 12 pupils from P6, S4, S5 and S6 each donated seven inches of their hair to the charity. Each girl’s hair was braided into a seven-inch ponytail to be cut off and made into a real hair wig.

Thirteen Edinburgh College hairdressing students cut the ponytails off in front of the whole Senior School, before providing each volunteer with new hairstyles with the help of lecturers Adelle Smillie and Nicky Heneke.

The pupils had been inspired by an assembly in early December, where PE Teacher Kerry McNaughton and S1 pupil Ella Hopley had their hair cut in front of the school for donation to the charity.

 

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