Charity accolade for Fife man honours 18 years of service

Peter Martin was honoured with a Royal Patron’s award for his commitment to the Abbeyfield Kirkcaldy Society whose mission it is to enhance the quality of life for older people.

Peter was, until recently, the society’s accountant, and was chosen from thousands of staff and volunteers worldwide to receive the accolade, endorsed by HRH The Prince of Wales.

AKS manages Abbeyfield House residential care home, whose 29 residents form their own small community.

It also operates a day centre for other older people in the local community and additionally provides an outreach meals service to around 50 people in their own homes.

Peter joined AKS in 2004 as its part-time accountant, a position held until 2020.

He worked quickly to place the society on a sound financial footing and then played an integral role in devising and implementing the planned introduction and expansion of the day care services.

He was key to securing £900,000 in funding for these premises and other improvements to the home’s facilities.

Peter has also remained in close contact with the Society’s patron, Lady Elgin, and has arranged multiple visits from politicians, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown while he was MP for the area.

His political contacts are far-reaching, and he was a member of the Scottish Government’s cross-party committee on dementia. He is an active participant in Scottish Care and has, with their support, organised the Abbeyfield Societies in Scotland (ASIS) annual conference since its inception.

This year, due to social distancing measures, the recipients of the Royal Patron’s Awards were announced publicly at The Abbeyfield Society’s AGM, and Peter was presented with his Award at a small local ceremony in the grounds of Kirkcaldy’s care home by AKS Chairman Bill Main.

Presenting the award, Bill Maimn, chairman, said: “Peter is a first-class ambassador for the Abbeyfield movement and has worked tirelessly to enhance the care the Kirkcaldy Society provides and to raise the profile of Abbeyfield nationally.

“He is a truly deserving recipient of the prestigious Royal Patron’s Award.”

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V