Highland Heroes 2025: Charity shortlist revealed – VOTE NOW!
VOTE for your charity of the year by midnight on Monday, February 10!
Caithness KLICS (Kids Living in Caring Situations)
Providing vital support and respite for young carers in Caithness, aged between 5-18, is Caithness KLICS (Kids Living in Caring Situations).
Such is the need for its services, the charity, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, is expanding its Wick centre and is looking for premises in Thurso to reach as many young carers as it can.
Co-founder and manager, Wendy Thain, explained: “The referrals have climbed so we have a waiting list on the Wick side, hence the extension.
KLICS also helps families with surplus food, clothing and toiletries due to the poverty in the area.
“I don’t think people realise what’s on their doorstep so we’ve also been raising awareness in schools so they can be aware of what young carers are going through.”
In Wick, the charity runs after school groups, Monday to Friday, there is an outreach worker who visits rural schools and it also provides support in local high schools, while in Thurso there are after school groups three days a week.
Last year, Caithness KLICS also won two awards at the Highland Third Sector Interface awards: the reducing vulnerability through third sector activity award, and Wendy received the outstanding achievement award.
The charity is delighted to have been shortlisted for a Highland Heroes award!
Added Wendy: “It was a bit of a surprise, I wasn’t expecting it at all. We’re shocked but delighted! It’s really nice to know people think so much of us and what we do.”
The Oxygen Works
Dealing with long-term and complex health conditions every day is tough, but an Inverness-based centre has proved vital in providing support by offering unique, holistic and innovative therapies.
The Oxygen Works provides a range of support and services to its clients including physiotherapy, complementary therapies and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing increased levels of oxygen at a higher atmospheric pressure which can offer a range of symptom management and is an effective anti-inflammatory.
Founded in 1992 as an MS Therapy Centre, the charity rebranded in 2018 to better reflect its inclusivity and diversity of client base and now has a membership of over 400 with people travelling from all over Scotland and from abroad to access its range of therapies and services including an accessible gym, physiotherapy, podiatry, Theraplate and wellbeing groups. Services can be accessed by individuals living with a range of health concerns including MS, cancer, stroke, fibromyalgia and long covid.
Last year alone, almost 7000 appointments were completed at the centre, over 4500 of them for oxygen therapy. All this with just a team of only five staff.
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General manager, Jenni Donnelly, was delighted the centre had been shortlisted and hoped that it would raise awareness of the wide range of conditions it can support.
“We’re absolutely delighted. We’re a very small charity and not overly well-known even though we’ve been here for over 30 years. This is huge for us. We’re honoured to be nominated.”
Special Needs Action Project (SNAP)
SNAP was founded nearly 30 years ago when a group of parents, whose children had significant additional needs, were seeking a safe place in which their children could access fun and social opportunities.
Since then, it has continued to play an integral role within the community, evolving with the needs of local families.
SNAP aims to improve the lives of young people with additional needs by providing social experiences, building self-esteem and encouraging independence. Their objectives include enhancing young people's social experiences and encouraging the development of social skills and independence while giving opportunities for parents/carers to recharge their batteries.
Today, the charity is primarily based at the Haven Centre, Inverness as well as continuing its presence at Drummond Special School. Expanding into the Haven centre has allowed the charity to offer services to people from across the Highlands.
It now supports over 160 children, young people and adults, between the ages of three and 40-plus with after school clubs, teen club, youth clubs, over 30s group, Saturday out and abouts, weekend breaks, school holiday leisure schemes as well as family play sessions, toddler groups and adult day services. Special events can also be held at the Haven Centre such as birthday parties, sensory sessions and more.
Staff and volunteers pride themselves on building strong and positive relationships with young people and their families.
Chief officer, Dawn Walker, said: “This means so much because it's nominations from the community. It means the world to us to have families feel they can nominate us. It’s going to give our staff and volunteer team such a boost.”
W M Donald is sponsoring Highland Heroes 2025 charity of the year award.
W M Donald director, Elaine Donald, said: “W M Donald are proud to support Highland Heroes and sponsor the charitable organisation of year award for the third year running.
“Sponsoring the charitable organisation of the year is our small way of saying thank you to all the charities that work so tirelessly for their communities. We urge everyone to vote for the charities which have made such a difference to the lives of others.”