A WEE COUNTY woman has been recognised by the King and Queen Consort for her volunteering efforts.

Sophie Allan, from Clackmannan, volunteers with Scottish Athletics and Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club, and became one of 50 Coronation Champions chosen throughout Scotland.

Joining a larger group of 500 from the UK, Sophie was invited to attend one of the official coronation celebrations and received a certificate signed by King Charles in conjunction with the Royal Voluntary Service.

Sophie said: “Becoming a Coronation Champion means a huge deal to me. I am very proud.

“No one volunteers to get credit – it’s always about giving back, but to be recognised for my hard work and dedication over the past 10 years is amazing.

“I love athletics and started volunteering because I wanted to be involved in the sporting world’s atmosphere but I wasn’t mega sporty.

“Volunteering is so important within the athletics community, as it is volunteers who make up the majority of coaches and officials.

“Volunteering has given me a chance to give back, be part of the sport and help others find a lifelong love for it.

“I enjoy seeing people train and compete and getting to help them along the way.

“Volunteering has also really benefitted me. I’m always socialising, staying relatively fit, learning new things and being pushed out of my comfort zone.”

Sophie started volunteering when she was 13 and was selected from almost 5000 nominations across the country.

She is a fully qualified athletics official and has officiated over 200 sporting events over the last five years.

Sophie dedicated considerable time to coaching and coaches children from deprived areas to develop as athletes. She sits on the committees of Pitreavie AAC, the Scottish Schools Athletics Association and Athletics Trust Scotland Young People Forum.

Catherine Johnstone CBE, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “We were completely blown away by the response to the Community Champions Awards and the huge volume of amazing nominees put forward.

“Our judges had a tough job selecting just 500 champions from an array of thousands of inspirational individuals, who all deserve to be recognised and commended.

“Each of our Coronation Champions displayed a commitment and contribution that far exceeds any expectation and we’re overjoyed to honour and thank them during this exciting point in history.”