IT was a double win for the region at the recent Scottish Veterans Awards.
The Dumfries and Galloway Veterans Garden won the health and wellbeing award, while Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Archie Dryburgh MBE was named role model of the year.
Each of the winners were chosen by an independent judging panel and announced during a ceremony in Edinburgh.
This latest award for the Veterans Garden recognises the hard work put in by the group for ex-forces personnel and their families to provide a one-stop-shop to access friendship, mental health advice with counsellor Margaret Casey, practical help and outdoor skills.
Garden spokesman Mark Harper said: “We are absolutely humbled again to have won another award. Last year we won a silver award in this same category and two years ago we won a bronze, so we are elated to have it overall this year as it shows the services are improving every year.
“We are striving to get better and better help the veterans on whatever we can do for the community.”
Mark and fellow member Maurice Kennedy were shortlisted for volunteer of the year and The Veterans Gardens was also shortlisted for group of the year. Meanwhile, Archie Dryburgh said of his win: “I am absolutely delighted with this result, it’s way beyond expectations.
“To have achieved national recognition in so many different area of work with veterans is remarkable and I am immensely proud to be part of it.”
