A 10-year-old girl is on the lookout for unsung heroes across Dumfries and Galloway.
Heather Bryson received a British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) in October last year. The award is designed to recognise the individual endeavours of young people who are positively impacting their communities, helping charities, or undertaking exceptional activities in support of others.
Now, she has been made an Ambassador for the awards scheme, responsible for promoting and support the BCyA at every opportunity.
Part of this role is to connect with communities across Scotland, to encourage people/organisations to nominate their own unsung heroes for a BCA (adults) or BCyA (children).
Heather is looking for opportunities to speak at meetings or events (in person or by zoom) with regards to her own charity recycling/intergenerational work, her awards, and most importantly how to nominate local heroes.
She was recognised for her own award for providing an intergenerational lifeline with her exercise classes for people living with disabilities, including care home residents, and also her recycling projects.
She has a number of Facebook pages and also attends various craft fayres where she sells her home-made, recycled crafts to raise money for dementia services.
Her live exercise sessions for older/disabled people, alongside self-produced videos, encourage basic movement and rehydration.
Heather struggled with lockdown and went through a rough time, changing schools, close family bereavements, and fracturing her arm twice in a matter of months.
She found focus by recycling pre-loved cups/saucers into bird feeders and broken necklaces into Little Lockdown Angels.
In the last year, Heather has also received:
• Glasgow Times – Individual Award Winner (youngest ever)
• Anderson McGuire – Community Hero Award (youngest ever)
• GMTV 1 Million Minutes – Young Loneliness Champion
• Prime Ministers Points of Light Award
• Achievement award from The Lord Lieutenant in our area (a representative of Buckingham Palace)
• SCVO Volunteer of the Year – Commendation (only the 2nd child in 16 years to get to the final)
• The British Citizen Youth Award (presented in The Palace Of Westminster)
• Blue Peter New Silver Badge (one of the first to receive this)
• RLSS UK Queen’s Jubilee Medallion (we believe she’s the only Scottish person to achieve this and might also be the only child)
Heather also features as one of Ben Shephard’s “Humble Heroes” in his new book. Her story was discussed on national TV and radio including the Lorraine programme.
If any organisation would like to speak to Heather, ask her to attend a meeting, or has an idea for their own unsung hero, they can contact her mum Deborah by email h.bryson2012@hotmail.com or by phoning 07743 951639.