Liz Connolly, a dedicated volunteer from Blackburn, has been honoured with a Volunteer Award from The Centre, Livingston, in recognition of her tireless work with the Young at Heart charity and her ongoing support for Community Action Blackburn.
Decade of Service
For the past ten years, Liz has served as treasurer for the Young at Heart charity in Blackburn, a group established over three decades ago. The organisation welcomes around 40 participants each week, aged between 65 and 90, offering activities such as weekly exercise and yoga classes. Liz's responsibilities include securing external funding for day trips, theatre shows, coffee mornings, and afternoon teas, as well as keeping members informed about beneficial initiatives like the warm home discount.
Recognition and Reward
The Centre, Livingston Volunteer Award is part of the shopping centre’s ‘Support in the Community’ initiative, launched over a decade ago to recognise individuals who go above and beyond to help others. Recipients receive a personalised, framed certificate and a £100 Gift Card.
Lisa Haggerty Brown, Development Officer at Community Action Blackburn, who runs a senior support group, has worked with Liz for many years. Upon learning about the award, she immediately nominated Liz as a token of thanks for her exceptional contributions.
Community Impact
During her career as a liaison and compliance officer, Liz also volunteered at the Blackburn Local Employment Scheme (BLES), helping local residents enhance their skills and secure employment.
Lisa praised Liz, stating: “I am delighted that Liz has received this award, as she selflessly does so much for everyone else. It’s great for her to be recognised for all her hard work. Liz gives so much to the community of Blackburn, and the number of hours she puts in to make every member feel special is phenomenal. She is always available for members to contact if they need to chat, and she keeps a close eye on those requiring extra support.”
Liz’s Reaction
Liz expressed her gratitude: “Thank you so much to The Centre, Livingston for this wonderful Volunteer Award. When I learned I had been nominated, I was absolutely thrilled and so happy that my volunteer work, which I thoroughly enjoy, has been recognised as valuable to the local community. I’m looking forward to treating myself with the generous Gift Card as a reminder of this special award.”
Centre Director’s Comments
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “Our Volunteer Award is designed to spotlight people like Liz who go above and beyond to help others. It was great to hear about her fantastic work in Blackburn, which is highly commendable, and it’s an honour to present her with this well-deserved award. We are always looking for local volunteers who have gone the extra mile, and we encourage nominations at enquiries@thecentrelivingston.com.”
Additional Community Work
Beyond her role at Young at Heart, Liz supports Community Action Blackburn, which recently received funding for the ‘Blackburn Lives – Celebrating Our Shared History’ project. This initiative allows residents to share memories and participate in reminiscence sessions, while also enabling local school pupils to learn about the area’s history. The funding will also help establish the Blackburn Museum, in partnership with History of Blackburn and West Lothian Council, located within the Blackburn Partnership Centre.
The organisation is appealing to anyone with links to Blackburn to share stories, photographs, and artefacts for exhibition. For more information, email charlieblackburn.cab@gmail.com or visit the History of Blackburn Facebook page.
