A kind-hearted Callander resident who assisted the townsfolk during the Covid lockdowns has been rewarded by being crowned the town’s Citizen of the Year.
Mark Nicols received the prestigious award at the weekend as he was recognised for his contributions to the community when the pandemic hit.
During lockdown, Mark provided meals for delivery to a range of people in different parts of Callander, as part of the Support Scheme.
Following this, he is now delighting older members with his Thursday Craigard Club meals at the Callander Youth Project (CYP), turning these into a memorable and much-anticipated weekly feature. The meals are both nutritious and good to eat, and respond to individual needs and tastes. This was echoed in the recent senior’s dinner.
With a different age group, the CYP also provides the setting for Mark’s work with apprentices as part of their hospitality training programme, which stresses the importance of combining both professional service and an attention to individual needs.
Looking to the future, he is also involved in the current plans to develop the BMX track within the Camp Place area.
He received the award at the re-opening of Camp Place play park from chair of Callander Community Council, Susan Holden.
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Susan said: “It gave me great pleasure, as current chair of the community council, to present the Citizen of the Year 2021 award to Mark Nicols at the official opening of the Camp Place Play Park.
“As I said then, Mark has earned wide support for the variety and quality of his work with different sectors of the community.
“He demonstrates the ability to work across the community, engaging with different needs and interests. As one beneficiary of his Thursday meals told me: ‘Mark is a chef with a social conscience’.
“For Callander, he is a worthy winner of the award, and we all thank him and also wish him well for the future.”
