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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Tom Gilzean’s family to collect MBE

This news post is about 4 years old
 

The charity champion was bestowed with the honour but was unable to collect it before his death last year

A charity champion is set to receive a posthumous MBE.

Tom Gilzean raised over a million pounds for charity, and was regularly seen with a collection box around Princes Street.

He died in November of last year just months before his 100th birthday.

Gilzean was awarded an MBE last year but had been unable to collect it due to ill health. But now his family will travel to London to collect the award in his memory.

His son Douglas Gilzean told BBC Scotland: "We phoned the palace a few times because he was anxious to get it before he died and they said it would be no problem to arrange for it to be presented to him locally but unfortunately he did pass away before it could be arranged.

"He was hoping to receive it before he died because he knew any publicity meant he got more money for his charities the next day when he was out with his tins.

"It is sad for the family that he is not getting it himself but we are still very happy he is still getting it posthumously and are immensely proud."