Moray & Banffshire Heroes 2025: VOTE NOW for your secondary school pupil of the year!
VOTE for your secondary school of the year by midnight on Monday, March 24!
READ the shortlist in full.
Leo McBain, Banff Academy, Banff
A PASSION for helping students access preloved school uniforms and clothing has propelled Banff Academy pupil Leo McBain into the spotlight.
Since the Deveronvale Community Hub opened four years ago, Leo, now 15, has been an active volunteer. The charity was created to give people easy access to football strips and boots, but quickly developed into a full range of secondhand clothing and footwear.
Fifteen-year-old Leo extended the initiative into Banff Academy. He said: “If people need a jumper or a pair of trousers and someone else has recently outgrown theirs, it makes perfect sense for them to be able to go and grab them off a rack. Why should they have to go and buy new things all the time?”
His nomination said: “Leo is a huge asset to the hub. He is one of the first to move boxes or sort out new donations. He’s always willing to help kit the kids out for school each day, and at Christmas he helped pack all the festive hampers and get them delivered. He deserves to be recognised for his hard work.”
Faith Wells, Elgin Academy, Elgin
AFTER being diagnosed with leukaemia, 14-year-old Faith Wells says she developed a new perspective on life and realised just how amazing her friends and family are.
The Elgin Academy pupil received the diagnosis in 2022. She’s benefited from a two-and-a-half-year treatment plan which included six weeks of intensive chemotherapy at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
Faith is in remission.
She’s been nominated for the secondary pupil of the year award for her “bravery, resilience and determination to find the positive in her situation and her can-do attitude.”
Faith said: “Being told that I had leukaemia was really scary to begin with because there was a lot to take in. When I got out of hospital I wanted to surprise all my friends so I didn’t tell them when I was coming back to school. “
She continued: “When I walked into the classroom they were overjoyed to see me and we were all crying. I realised in that moment just how lucky I was because they always supported me, never once did they make me feel different even though I’d lost my hair and a lot of weight. I’m really lucky because my family and my friends all pulled together to support me and get me through it.”
Riley McLaggan, Elgin High School, Elgin
SIXTH year Elgin High pupil Riley McLaggan says he’s shocked to hear how highly he’s thought of for his volunteering efforts.
His nomination said: “Riley always thinks of others, is a peer mentor, been a volunteer at Elgin youth cafe for five years where he’s amassed more than 800 hours. He volunteers calmly, without fuss, and shows great empathy. He takes everything in his stride and deserves to be proud of himself.”
Riley (17) said: “I struggle to take in that they’re talking about me. I was the first in my family to start volunteering and now my mum and my brother are both involved and really enjoy it too.”
He continued: “Volunteering is a great way to develop your skills whether you need to learn more about leadership or customer service.”
Riley is now training to volunteer with Scotia Medical Group, a charity that saves lives through first aid. He hopes it will set him in good stead for a career as a paramedic.
The secondary school pupil award is sppnsored by UHI Moray
Head of Academic Partnerships at UHI Moray, Jackie Andrews, said: “It is a pleasure for UHI Moray as a tertiary institution to support young people through our Senior Phase programme to prepare for their future, whether that is college, training, work or university. Our Senior Phase programme offers a wide range of subjects ranging from SCQF 4-7 which are available to all young people from S4 to S6 and we are delighted to welcome pupils to benefit from the skills and knowledge of our lecturers and assessors. Having the opportunity to study in a different location, to study different subjects, or to enhance future job opportunities through a Foundation Apprenticeship whilst still benefiting from being in school, has proven so beneficial for so many young people. We are very grateful to our local schools for working in partnership and for our local employers for providing placement opportunities needed to support many of these qualifications.
“For these reasons we are delighted to continue our sponsorship of the secondary pupil category in the Moray & Banffshire Heroes awards and would like to wish all nominees the best of luck.”
