Moray & Banffshire Heroes 2025: VOTE NOW for your green hero!
VOTE for your green hero by midnight on Monday, March 24!
READ the shortlist in full.
Nick Molnar
SIXTY-five years ago, while gazing out of his bedroom window in Birmingham, Nick Molnar scrutinised the neat, fenced-off gardens and vowed to find a way to bring people together in nature.
He went on to work with young people in London before escaping to the country and inspiring adults with additional needs to build new skills in nature.
In 2019, he and his wife Pen bought a piece of woodland near Forres and founded the charity Forres Friends of Woods and Fields.
His nomination said: “Nick has put his heart and soul into this enterprise for the young and old people of Forres. He dedicates his time to encouraging volunteers to develop this sustainable, no-dig vegetable garden with a polytunnel, a community orchard and tree nursery. Volunteers share what’s ready for harvesting and any surplus veggies go to our local Pop-Up Pantry, and that’s only a tiny taste of what he’s created here.”
Nick, who will celebrate his 76th birthday this year, said: “It’s my life's work to teach and encourage environmental responsibility; we need to inspire and support the generations to come to take charge.”
Phil Mills
IS a ‘fantastic leader with a clear sense of duty and purpose whose commitment, vision and generosity impact the lives of many’ your winner for green hero of the year?
Nominee Phil Mills, manager at Moray Waste Busters, is said to have taken the social enterprise to new heights by championing reuse, recycling, and helping bring meaningful employment and opportunities for growth and development to the Forres community.
The charity is on a mission to turn waste into opportunity. It rescues reusable items from landfill and sells them in its shop helping both the environment and community.
Phil initially joined Moray Waste Busters as a bookshop volunteer 15 years ago. He said: “Most of our team started off as volunteers. I love the variety of people I meet. Every day is different; it’s fascinating and rewarding to see all this stuff be rescued and put to good use.”
Moray Waste Busters regularly gives donations to local community groups, charities and schools. It now employs a qualified school teacher part time to deliver free workshops and talks to schools.
Phil concluded: “I appreciate the nomination, everything we achieve here is a team effort.”
Allan Gray
FORRES-based environmentalist Allan Gray is ‘humbled’ to be shortlisted for the green hero award and pleased to see climate and nature firmly on locals’ radar.
Allan, who works for national NGO, Zero Hour, is campaigning for the UK Government to pass the science-led, Climate and Nature Bill. Through collaboration with local councillor Draeyk van der Horn, he helped Moray Council become the first Scottish local authority to support the Bill.
Allan works with residents across the north-east, advocating for campaigns to decarbonise transport, deliver climate action and expand active travel.
He said: “I realised very quickly in life how much climate and nature are central to all aspects of a community, delivering benefits to health, biodiversity and food security. Geography and biology were my favourite subjects at school and cemented an understanding that everything is interconnected through nature, which is why I am campaigning to bridge these two issues through the Climate and Nature Bill.”
Allan concluded: “Every choice we make matters; we have the power to make communities and the local environment resilient and prosperous for the people of Moray, Scotland and the UK."
The green hero award is sponsored by Springfield
Dave Main, Springfield Properties managing director (north), said: “It is up to each and every one of us, as businesses and as individuals, to do our bit for the environment. At Springfield, we regularly review and assess our practices to reduce our environmental impact from ways to build our homes more sustainably to ensuring they are energy efficient to run for our customers.
“That’s why we’re once again supporting the green hero award to celebrate the achievements of those people in our community that are going above and beyond to look after our environment.
“We’re looking forward to hearing about the projects members of our community are undertaking to take care of our planet – be sure to vote for them.”
