A tireless community campaigner who helped save one of the country’s largest military bases from closure has died.
Mike Mulholland, 70, was one of the leading figures who helped maintain RAF operations in his Lossiemouth hometown – including taking the fight to government ministers personally as he occupied a seat on the battle bus to Downing Street in the successful 2011 campaign.
The devoted father-of-three and grandfather was most recently chairman of the local community council for eight years until his death on Friday following a short illness.
During his time at the head of the group he helped oversee preparations to build a replacement crossing to the East Beach, led a successful campaign to secure the town’s first set of traffic lights due to concerns about the safety of children walking to school and kept public toilets and the local swimming pool open when they were threatened with closure by Moray Council.
Mr Mulholland, who ran an energy consultancy firm, was a founding member of Covesea Lighthouse Community Company, which bought the landmark in 2013 and opened it to the public for the first time.
He also spearheaded the formation of the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust.
During the coronavirus pandemic he remained active in reporting local concerns and was advancing plans to create a cycle path to Hopeman.
Carolle Ralph, vice-chairwoman of Lossiemouth Community Council, said: “Mike loved Lossie. He had a wonderful sense of fun, he loved to laugh and his optimism for life, passion and enthusiasm will be missed terribly. He loved people and loved to socialise.
“He like nothing better in his role than to sit in the Harbour Lights with a bacon roll and cup of tea pouring over the latest community project and chatting to all who came in.”
Heldon and Laich councillor John Cowe said: “Lossiemouth has lost a great champion of our community and I will miss him terribly.
“As chairman of the community council, Mike always strived to make things better, no matter how big the challenge may have been and never ceased to lend a helping hand and listening ear whenever he could.”
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said: “There are few constituents I have spoken more to than Mike these past few years, given his involvement and dedication to community life and helping others.
“He was a real stalwart and his passing leaves a huge hole in community life and Lossiemouth and he will be sorely missed by all.”