'Meet the Board' event spotlights on Moray Reach Out opportunities

THERE was plenty to be cheerful about for Moray Reach Out (MRO) when they held an informal 'Meet the Board' event at their Buckie HQ.

The charity, which aims to provide training opportunities for adults with disabilities so they can gain areal sense of purpose and pride, invited the public to come along to their base on Tuesday, December 6 at 23 East Church Street for a chat, a cuppa and a mince pie as well as the chance to find out more about the work the organisation does in the town and across Moray.

There was a focus on both the past and the future, with MRO using the event to launch their ‘History of Moray Reach Out’ with photos and memorabilia to browse, with the afternoon also hosting their AGM.

One of those returned at the AGM was chairwoman Fiona McKenzie, who first joined the MRO board in November 2019 and took over the reins during the pandemic in 2021.

She said: "I was a bit nervous at my first AGM as chair but this has been a very relaxed, informal meeting with teas, coffees and mince pies.

"Last year's AGM was online due to Covid so it was great to be able to get back to a face-to-face meeting.

"It was also a chance to thank the volunteers and staff for all their hard work over the last year.

"The 'Meet the Board' event was very enjoyable and was a chance for people to come along and meet us informally and find out what we do. We also had a fun quiz running during the event."

Ms McKenzie was one of three board members re-elected at the AGM, the others being John Rose and Alison Mair.

The main inspiration behind the 'Meet the Board' was MRO's General and Business Development Manager Shona Radojkovic.

"During the lockdowns it was much harder to have meetings and they had to be virtual," she commented.

"This year we don't have these restrictions so I thought it was an opportunity make things more informal and relaxed and offer a chance for people to come along and find out more about MRO and what we do.

"Even when we had face-to-face AGMs before the pandemic there was no real interaction until after the meeting, so we've cut out the formality which has made it more accessible."

The 'History of Moray Reach Out' seeks to bring together a whole range of memorabilia from the organisations past, and already a variety of folders have been gathered comprising photos and press articles harking back to the charity;s formation back in 1996.

Ms Radojkovic said: "We thought it would be nice to bring all this history of MRO together before it was lost.

"It's an ongoing project and people are welcome to bring in their photos and so and we'll scan them. We're available to scam items Monday to Friday and it would be helpful if people could phone first to let us know they're coming and we can make sure there is someone on hand to scam their items."

MRO in Buckie can be contacted by phone at (01542) 834434.

While the rigours of Covid restrictions may be in the past and a greater deal of normality has returned to the charity's operations, there are plenty of challenges and opportunities ahead in 2023 for MRO.

Ms Radojkovic added: "One of the biggest challenges we'll face next year is the introduction of the deposit return scheme, which will impact us, so we're looking at our other projects, for example, the upcycling, the thrift shop and the spinning classes.

"Also, we're hoping to complete our garden project which will provide a nice, quiet place for people to relax in and will also be a conservation area for flowers, birds etc."

In addition to the thrift and yarn shops at their Buckie base, plus the other projects hosted there, MRO also boast recycling centres in Buckie and Elgin with an embroidery shop also situated in the latter town.

The charity currently support around 40 trainees, whose individual needs tailor the training they receive.

To find out more about MRO and how to become a volunteer, visit https://morayreachout.org.uk/