LAST year’s ‘Heart of Gold’ winner at the Dunfermline Press Community Champion Awards is encouraging everybody to get their nominations in for their 2019 community heroes!
Milesmark gran Evelyn Cook was overwhelmed when her name was called out at the honours ceremony that the Press holds in order to celebrate the best of West Fife.
The 63-year-old home carer goes out of her way to help neighbours or anyone she might just bump into on the street!
She summed up what the community champion awards is all about when her emotional reaction to winning the ‘Heart of Gold’ award touched everyone in the room.
“Some of my clients heard that I had won and I got lots of congratulations from different people.
“I kept saying at the time that I would never win it and it was just nice to be included on the night.
“Then they told me that I’d won it with flying colours!”
Evelyn runs the bingo at Wellwood club for free in her own time and also ran the game at Gillie Court care home for many years.
Among her many tasks for others, she always volunteers at community events such as the kids’ disco at Halloween and Christmas, picks up prescriptions for her neighbours, dog-sits, takes elderly neighbours shopping, collects their messages, and makes sure pensioners are looked after.
“I’ve just been going on like I was before!” Evelyn said.
“But I would like to nominate someone this time, I want to pass it on!
“It’s inspired me to help someone else get recognised for their work and it’s great that we can do this in our community.
“I think it’s really important.
“It was a great night all around last year, apart from when I was upset in front of everyone!
“But I got over the embarrassment in the end!
“It was particularly great to see all the work that was going on in the area.
Evelyn was put forward for the ‘Heart of Gold’ award by her daughter-in-law, Amanda Cook, who described her as the “hardest-working, kindest and helpful wee woman in Fife”.
“Over the years, she has helped so many people both in her job as a home carer and in her spare time,” Amanda told us.
“She goes out of her way to help other people each and every day.
“Everyone that knows Evelyn will tell you that she is an amazing lady. One in a million.
“When living in Wellwood and now Milesmark she has been the centre of great community spirit inspiring others along the way.”