Fortrose Academy pupil scoops award after ‘huge’ Ukraine fundraiser
A FORTROSE Academy girl, who has been tirelessly fundraising for Ukraine, has scooped a prestigious award for her efforts.
Loreta Vitola moved to the Black Isle from Latvia at age 3, and by age 5, she had already joined Cromarty Youth Cafe. Now at age 16, she has raked in 888 hours of volunteer work for her Saltire Award, including a holding huge fundraiser for Highlands Support Ukraine.
Now Loreta has been given the Fortrose Academy Wanda Mackay Award in recognition of her “outstanding contribution to volunteering”.
However, this is far from the first award in Loreta’s trophy cabinet. At the 2024 Highland Third Sector Awards, Loreta won an award for her volunteering work. As well as this, Loreta was also a core member of Fortrose Academy’s winning team in the prestigious Growing Future Assets Investment competition.
Wanda Mackay, namesake of Fortrose Academy’s volunteering award and youth development officer, said: “Loreta has supported Cromarty Youth Cafe for over five years as a young leader and volunteer, delivering a wide and diverse range of activities.
“She loves supporting young people in the arts, and particularly enjoyed our recent Mosaic Project where she was instrumental in planning, consultation and pulling ideas together between the artist and young people. Loreta also really enjoys carrying out intergenerational work with our Golden Oldies.
“As well as all of this, Loreta is also a gold medallist and committee member with the Cromarty Community Rowing Club. Loreta always goes above and beyond — she is an awesome young leader and volunteer.”
