Gillian Nimmo of Boroughmuir was honoured with a place on the shortlist for a national award linking rugby with the mental health charity, LooseHeadz.
A driving force behind the Boroughmuir Banshees women’s and girls teams, Gillian just missed out in a final field of three featuring Donald Fowler, the eventual winner, from the Leodiensian club and Paul Murphy of Mullingar as they went head-to-head for the Heart of Club Award.
As previously highlighted in the Edinburgh Reporter Gillian started Boroughmuir’s women’s section with two players and built it almost single-handedly. The Boroughmuir Banshees are now highly prolific with mental health at the front of minds in the culture she has built at the club.
Sponsored by Charles Tyrwhitt, the Heart of the Club Award is a lifetime award for the person who has kept their club alive through thick and thin – the beating heart of the place, no matter the challenge.
The award celebrates the club, team or organisation that has turned an idea into real impact, leading the way through innovation and action to strengthen the club culture and make a lasting difference to its community.
Rob Shotton, co-founder of LooseHeadz, said: “Every club has someone who holds it all together, and very often they’re the last person who wants any credit for it.
“The nominees for this award were people who are the beating heart of their respective clubs, and this shortlisting was a chance for the whole rugby community to say thank you to them.”
LooseHeadz is a charity with a singular mission of saving lives by playing a Mental Health champion at every rugby club around the world providing them with a toolkit of resources tp support players, coaches and fans.
Recognised by Scottish Rugby, amongst other governing bodies, they are an official charity partner of the British and Irish Lions Trust.
The winners were revealed this week at the LooseHeadz Community Awards at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London.
