West Lothian woman Siobhán Heery was recently invited into The Centre, Livingston to receive a Volunteer Award and a £100 Gift Card for her outstanding contribution to youth arts in West Lothian and her lifelong commitment to giving back to the community, which includes being a Trustee at Firefly Arts.
Recognition for community support
The Centre, Livingston Volunteer Award is part of its 'Support in the Community' initiative, established over a decade ago, to pay tribute to people who have gone above and beyond in their own time to help others and reward them with a personalised, framed certificate and a £100 Gift Card.
Siobhán, who was nominated by Electra McPhillips, CEO of Firefly Arts, which runs drama, theatre, and film-making activities and workshops to help build confidence and creative skills for children and young people, has been a Trustee with Firefly Arts for over two years.
Dedication beyond the role
Using her professional knowledge and experience, in her own time when she's not teaching Drama at Larbert High School, Siobhán provides strategic guidance as a member of the Board, offering wellbeing support to staff and ongoing help to strengthen the organisation. She also gives practical support at community events, including The Centre, Livingston 50th anniversary celebrations, when Firefly Arts was the charity partner – always stepping forward whenever there is an opportunity to help.
Alongside her role at Firefly, Siobhán, who attended lots of drama classes when she was young at Firefly Arts, known then as West Lothian Youth Theatre, uses her full-circle experience to mentor and support young people and create opportunities for those who face barriers to accessing the arts. Over the years she has also sponsored marketing materials, including programmes for the shows, and is currently facilitating mental health support sessions for the team.
Quotes of appreciation
Electra said: “Siobhán goes far beyond her role as a Trustee, giving her time and professional expertise to support our staff, young people and the wider organisation. I wanted to put her forward for this fantastic Volunteer Award as she always steps in wherever she can to make a difference - her commitment to Firefly has been invaluable since the day she started working with us.”
Siobhan said: “I am absolutely delighted and very grateful to The Centre, Livingston for presenting me with their Volunteer Award. It was such a lovely surprise when Electra told me she had even put me forward for it and I'm very flattered – it is lovely to know how much the work I do is appreciated. Thanks to West Lothian Youth Theatre, which is now Firefly Arts, my world opened up in ways I never thought were possible when I attended drama classes, which is why I'm so honoured to have been a member of the board for more than two years now. To me, it's about broadening the horizons of our young people and not just teaching them drama but giving them a voice, developing their skills and helping them to build relationships and create memories. Youth theatre changed my life, shaping who I am today and, as a member of the board, I want to ensure Firefly Arts can continue to do that for West Lothian's young people.”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston said: “We are delighted to present Siobhan with our very well-deserved Volunteer Award for all the fantastic volunteering work she has done at Firefly Arts, which is hugely commendable. If you know anyone who deserves to be recognised and rewarded for giving up their time to help people in the local community, we'd love to shine a light on them too. Please send your nominations to enquiries@thecentrelivingston.com.”
