Caring Dumfries student scoops top honour

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Dumfries third-year student at the University of the West of Scotland has been given a prestigious award for combatting loneliness in the town.BSc Adult Nursing student, 30-year-old Ellie Haggarty, is recognised for befriending an elderly couple in Dumfries and has been awarded the Sir David Landale Prize which annually goes to the student who has made an “outstanding contribution to the Crichton Campus in the Dumfries and Galloway region”.The late Sir David was the founding convenor of the Crichton Foundation, a charity that supports UWS and other academic institutions in the area.Ellie is the sixth recipient of the £1,000 prize and the second nursing student to be selected as the winner.Her win highlights the importance of healthcare students in rural areas.Dumfries and Galloway’s population remains one of the oldest in Scotland, with 18.7 per cent aged 70 or over.Ellie signed up for befriending service Food Train Friends in 2017 and was paired with Bridie – an elderly woman who lived near her in Dumfries.It was initially intended to give Alec – Bridie’s husband – some time for himself.However, Alec soon found himself looking forward to Ellie’s visits, and so the three of them would all spend time together.Bridie sadly passed away in 2019 but Ellie still visits Alec, who now lives an hour away from her.Delighted with the award, and looking forward to more visits with Alec, she has clear plans to continue helping with her chosen profession in the future and has plans for her prize money: “I’d like to finish university and graduate first.

And then maybe a holiday before I start my next role.”As part of her degree, Ellie is currently on placement working with the elderly.