Aberdeen volunteer recognised on New Year Honours list

A Scot who has volunteered with the British Red Cross for 40 years said it is "humbling'' to be recognised in the New Year Honours List.

Professor Colin Moffat, from Cove Bay, Aberdeen, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for voluntary service to the Red Cross in northern Scotland.

The 58-year-old began volunteering with the charity in 1978 after successfully completing a first aid course for his Duke of Edinburgh Award, and he even went on to meet his wife on a training day with the organisation in 1979.

Over the past four decades he has held a variety of posts within the Red Cross, including volunteer emergency response co-ordinator.

In that role he developed and implemented the local emergency response plan and led his team in responding to incidents including the Piper Alpha disaster, North Sea helicopter crashes with multiple fatalities, and the major Deeside flooding in 2015.

He said: "I love being part of the Red Cross family.

"There's a huge sense of camaraderie, being part of a team making a phenomenal difference locally and globally. It's a genuine privilege to be able to help people when they are most vulnerable.

"They are so grateful. I know what a genuine difference the Red Cross makes because I get to see it all the time.

"I am only a small cog in the big Red Cross wheel.

"I always see the New Year Honours List but I never imagined my name would be on it one day. It's humbling to think a colleague took the time to nominate me and a huge honour. I'm still in shock.''

Prof Moffat is now part of the Red Cross ambulance crew supporting the Scottish Ambulance Service and is also regularly involved in fundraising and raising awareness about the charity.

Mike Adamson, chief executive of British Red Cross, said: "Colin is a shining example of the exemplary volunteers we are lucky to have supporting the vital work of the Red Cross. He has dedicated much of his life to first aid and helping to train others.

"I would like to pass on my congratulations to Colin on this well-deserved honour and thank him for the continued passion he has for helping to make a difference across Aberdeen and beyond.

"We couldn't do our work without the dedication of volunteers like Colin, supporting people to prepare and respond to crises in their community."