Barnardo's volunteer Annette Lamb amazed at top charity prize

Annette Lamb from Edinburgh picked up her Marsh Trust award for Fundraising Volunteer of the Year at a ceremony in London.

She has helped raise thousands of pounds over the years and said she was stunned to get the award.

Annette said: “I’m totally amazed, I don’t feel like I need to have an award for what I do, but I am so delighted to have been nominated and receive it. It means a great deal to me.”

Jordyn Armstrong, events manager for Barnardo’s Scotland, who nominated Annette, said: “Annette has been a huge supporter of Barnardo’s Scotland for a number of years.

“She has championed some amazing events for the charity that have become established on our annual fundraising calendar.

“Annette doesn’t just come up with ideas – she takes part and actively raises funds, whether it’s organising and raising a team for a round of golf, filling a table at the charity’s annual dinner or climbing Cairn Gorm or Kilimanjaro. Annette’s there, doing it in style. And we believe she truly deserves this award.”

Annette joined the Barnardo’s Scotland fundraising development board shortly after visiting Caern House, a bespoke building for children with disabilities in Edinburgh and the result of Barnardo’s £1m Care & Hope Appeal, supported by the Edinburgh Evening News.

Witnessing the work carried out at Caern House led to her commitment to support the charity and the successful fundraising partnership.

Previously, she had been one of the driving forces behind Lunch With An Old Bag for Princes Trust, and took a brave decision and left a very successful voluntary fundraising role with them to devote her time to Barnardo’s Scotland.

Asked why she wanted to help a charity like Barnardo’s, Annette said: “I visited one of the charity’s services in Leith with the development board where I met a young man around 21, he had been through the system from when he was ten, but had slipped through the net.

“He had to steal to survive and look after himself. He described what sounded like living a feral existence. I thought ‘How can that happen?’ and I knew that I wanted to support children and young men like him.”