Huntly's top citizen award goes to man who 'can always be relied on'
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THE man selected to receive the 2021 Citizen of The Year award says he much prefers to be in the background not the limelight.
Ian Little, (62) received the accolade from last year's recipient Allan Mitchell during Huntly Rotary Club's Christmas Festival last Sunday afternoon.
Born, brought up and educated in Huntly, Mr Little works as an architectural technician and estimator and believes his work skills which involve planning and organising has led to him being roped in to projects in Huntly.
Over many decades he has supported local schemes - from the extension to Huntly Golf Club back in the 70's to recent work to secure the future of the all weather pitch.
He was one of the mainstays of Huntly Gala in the 80's which he described as really great fun while raising money for the town.
He said: "Float parades through the town with clubs and firms brought folk out onto the streets, what an atmosphere there was. I remember we had Johnnie Beattie out one year and he had never seen anything like it."
His planning skills are always called upon for Sportsmens dinners to raise cash for Huntly Boys League and meant he met people like Jack Charlton and Craig Brown.
In recent years, he has worked with the committee at Huntly Football Club to help them pull off their fun days.
One of the mainstays of Huntly Sports Trust, Mr Little is delighted that as work begins on the new surface it has new members joining to secure its future.
He said: "Sandy Mitchell and Allan Mitchell largely kept the trust alive and I have worked with them on things like the car boot sale which kept it afloat.
"In everything I have been involved with there's been other great folk too and my partner Liz and her daughter Louise are always roped in and help too so it's always been a team effort.
"People know my background so come to me, I helped the pensioners when they were doing up their hall, that's the kind of thing I get involved with."
Nominations for Mr Little included: "You can always rely on Ian, nothing's a bother" and "he is good to old people, he helps us if he can."
Mr Little said: "I really never expected to be Citizen of the Year, I just look on what I do as doing my bit for the town and the community. I am a plan ahead kind of guy so I suppose folk appreciate that in organising things and making sure they stack up financially."
Mr Little received a keepsake and a cash award of £300 which he plans to share between the Scout and Guide groups in Huntly.
