Fife’s Local Heroes celebrated at awards ceremony

Hundreds gathered at Rothes Halls in Glenrothes for the annual Kingdom FM Local Hero Awards on Friday night, which honoured a huge range of groups and individuals who have all made a difference to the lives of so many people in their communities.

Winners of the 15 categories hail from all over the Kingdom, with some local names among them.

Retired Burntisland teacher Elaine Wyllie won the Kingdom FM Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of her major contribution to the health and wellbeing of children across the globe.

Elaine started the Daily Mile, which sees children walk, run or jog for 15 minutes every day to build their stamina, at a school in Stirling in 2012 after watching a class of 10-year-olds struggle to complete a warm up run across a school field.

Since then the initiative has been adopted in 65 countries, with 9312 schools and nurseries taking part, including 910 schools in Scotland.

Kirkcaldy High School was named Best School.

The work being done to restore Kirkcaldy’s former cinema into a new arts venue saw the team behind the King’s Theatre Kirkcaldy scooping the Provost’s Award.

Local veteran Ben Donnachie, who recently launched the Warrior ACademy for Rehabilitation aiming to alleviate symptoms of PTSD and other mental health issues, was named Unsung Hero.

The title of Sports Person of the Year went to father of three Michael Mellon, from Cardenden, who had his lower leg amputated afer breaking it while playing rugby for the RAF.

He has gone on to win five medals at the Invictus Games, including a bronze and silver in Canada in 2017 and two silvers and a bronze in Sydney last year for sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.

The Kelty Allotment was named Best Community Group; Jan Kerr, who cares for her long-time friend Kitty who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, received the award for Carer of the Year and New Business Start Up was Alex Little Funeral Directors.

Eleven-year-old Katie Pake, from Coaltown of Balgonie, received the Child of Achievement Award.

The Green Initiative Award went to Growers Garden Limited and Val El Dieb and Wayne Melrose were the Fundraiser of the Year.

Methil singer songwriter Cody Feechan was presented with the Homegrown Talent Award, Morgan MacGregor was named Volunteer of the Year and Roads to Success Art Exhibition was awarded the Mary Leishman Award.