On Thursday 14^th November, Marie delivered the keynote address at the Rotary Club of Kilmarnock’s annual Young Achievers Dinner, held at the Park Hotel, Kilmarnock.

The event celebrates young people from across the town who are making outstanding contributions and going above and beyond in their communities.

Invited by Rotary Club President John Herd, Marie’s speech centred on the themes of Regeneration, Renewal, and Resilience. She also reflected on the club’s proud history, noting that the Kilmarnock Rotary was formed in 1927 – the same year the town’s War Memorial was officially opened in honour of the fallen during Armistice Week.

Commenting on the evening, Marie said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my evening as the Rotary celebrated the young achievers from across the area. I was inspired by their stories and their drive to make things happen. More than ever, we need to support and work with our young people, and I applaud the Rotary Club for being a beacon of hope in this area. Thank you for a wonderful evening, and I wish all the young achievers continued success.”

 Extract from Marie’s speech…

 “My dream was to build a new history for Kilmarnock and Ayrshire like our forefathers did on that old bottling plant site.

 It is now my dream to build a HALO effect across the world on a foundation of Opportunity at the fore front of the new 4th Industrial Revolution set within Green Sustainable Communities.

 Just like Johnnie Walker walked the world so can this girl and all boys and girls from Kilmarnock and Ayrshire.

 Kilmarnock and Scotland were built by the hands of men and women of Greatness.”

Full speech can be viewed here.