After a tragic event turned her life upside down, Heather Morrison vowed she would devote herself to helping people.
When her 16-year-old son Paul died in 1980, Mrs Morrison decided to find a way of making a difference in people’s lives and provide vital support to those struggling.
For more than 30 years, she has been a pillar of strength for the Deeside community with her work in social care, helping people suffering from dementia and their carers.
The driving force behind her relentless efforts and dedication was her desire to make the region a better place for those in need and “do more for humanity”.
Tragic event leads to desire to help humanity
“I lost my eldest son Paul when he was 16, and that was a big turning point in my life”, Mrs Morrison said. “I reflected on – if it had been me that had gone that day instead of him, what would I have left behind?
“And apart from my Scouting, I really didn’t think I had done very much for humanity. At that time, I vowed that whatever I went forward to do, it would be to help other people, and that’s what led me into social work.
“I believed in what I was doing, and I was able to harness the energy of so many wonderful people, who realised how we can change so many lives in such a significant manner.”
In 1999, the 76-year-old created Forget Me Not Club in Banchory to give carers of dementia sufferers the training, support and camaraderie they needed to look after their loved ones.
And since its launch, the charity has grown and developed as a “unique” organisation, which has been a beam of hope for thousands of families across the north-east.
Recognition of “significant” impact on community
Mrs Morrison has now been made an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours in recognition of her work in dementia services and in the scouting community.
As well as leading the charity, she has also been involved with the scouts in Deeside for almost 50 years – first as a leader and now as a member of the District Appointment Committee.
Although she has had numerous achievements in the last decades, the proudest moment of her life was the opening of Forget Me Not Club’s headquarters in 2014.
The building was purchased with a donation from Sheila Ferres, who “realised the value of the service they provide” after her sister Elsa died.
To Mrs Morrison, that was a “life-changing piece of work”, which paved the way for them to provide an essential service previously lacking in the area.
She said: “When I saw how many individuals were trying to support their loved ones with dementia at home and how little was available to help them, it was just a big lightbulb moment for me.
“People were really struggling, and it wasn’t rocket science to enable them to get a better bite of the cherry.
“You could see people needed it, and once you provided it, you changed their lives in such a significant way. Social work can supply the bread, but we supply the butter and the jam.
“I’m very proud of where I took Forget Me Not to and my achievements in scouting, and I’m totally overwhelmed and sincerely humbled by this recognition of being made an MBE.”