One way we thank and acknowledge a person’s exceptional contribution is via the special recognition of awarding them an honorary role within VSA. This may be the result of: donating their time, expertise, skills or making a significant donation to VSA.
Thank you to each and every person.
Our friendship with the Royal Household dates back to 1870 when our founding Patron was Queen Victoria.
We are humbled that every reigning monarch since has accepted the patronage of Aberdeen Association of Social Service (VSA) signalling their deep love and affection for the people of Aberdeen, plus their strong connection to the region and Royal Deeside.
In September 2022, we joined the nation in mourning the loss of the nation's beloved Queen, Elizabeth II, our most recent Patron. Over the years, the late Her Majesty the Queen had visited the association and sent many well wishes.
Throughout the late Her Majesty the Queen's long life, she had truly led a life of service and selfless dedication, putting the needs of the people and the Charities she supported before her own. We are thankful for the support that the late Her Majesty the Queen had shown us over her reign, and we will remain profoundly thankful for her contribution to helping change the lives of vulnerable children and adults across the North East of Scotland.
The late Her Majesty the Queen's dedication and selflessness has shown us all what a difference we each could make to the life of others.
May she rest in peace.
The charity was founded in 1870 by Lord Provost Leslie and Lord Provost Nicol of Aberdeen City. The Honour of President of the Association has since been bestowed to every Lord Provost of the city in recognition of our founding roots.
Maggie, an Ex-British Army Forces veteran served her country for 13 years and held various positions in the army. On leaving the forces, Maggie joined the National Trust for Scotland as a guide at a local tourist attraction in Aberdeenshire, and during her time oversaw all corporate sales for the NTS in the North East.
Her journey with VSA started in 2004 when Maggie became a member of the Board of Trustees. Maggie served on our board from 2004-2014 and most recently held the position of Chair. To thank Maggie for her service and dedication to the vulnerable people of Aberdeen, she was appointed as a Vice President.
Due to many changes on our Board of Trustees in 2018, and our previous Chair (Alex Hunter) who had served her time, an opportunity arose for a new chair of the board. As many members of the board were new the Trustees sought to appointment someone with an in-depth understanding of our organisation and reached out to Maggie (Who had a wealth of knowledge and experience) to become Chair in 2018. The appointment was made for a period of three years in order to give our board time to grow, and for our trustees to gain an in depth understanding of our organisation. This has provided VSA with much needed stability during some of the most challenging years in our history.
Most recently Maggie stood down and was appointed as Honorary President for her amazing support.
Fiona Kennedy is a Scottish singer, songwriter, broadcaster and producer of stage and television productions and a tireless volunteer and ambassador for a number of charities. Fiona was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her contribution to music and charitable work and is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire.
"VSA is very important to me, and I’m proud to be an Honorary President of this fantastic charity. The work that they do across our city and beyond is outstanding. They help so many people with dementia, Alzheimer’s, mental health issues, additional support needs and they have wonderfully caring staff and volunteers"
After studying law at Aberdeen University, she became deputy procurator fiscal at the city’s juvenile court – where she saw first hand that the adversarial system was inappropriate for children, and that the more investigative approach now adopted by the Children’s Panel system was required.
Her views on social policy and on the family were influenced by her time at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Outside her legal practice, she was a member of the University of Aberdeen Court, serving as convener of the business committee.
Lady Joan held the position of Chair of the Board of Trustee at VSA for a number of years and also served as vice-chairwoman of Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust and as assessor to the dean of guild and is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire.
Mathew is a prominent local businessman who has supported VSA for a number of years helping us to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds. Mathew is a strong advocate for the work that VSA does in supporting vulnerable children and adults'.
“I was delighted and honoured to be approached by VSA to be recognised as one of their Vice Presidents. As one of Aberdeen’s oldest and most respected charities its cause I’ve championed for over 7 years now by assisting with the fund raising effort of the annual ball. VSA’s involvement in tending to the needs of many local folk who otherwise may struggle in their day to day lives has got to be worthwhile. In ‘Finnies the Jewellers’ we are pleased to have the opportunity to make a difference in our local community"
