Collins McKay, who previously worked with VANL as our Funding Officer sadly passed away on Sunday 20th October 2019 from cancer.

Collins was a loving Husband to Dorothy and loving Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather to his 5 children, 2 step children, grandchildren and great grandchild.

Collins was a life-long activist & marched for the NHS, Nicaragua, Nelson Mandela & Scottish Independence to name but a few.

He joined No 2 Parachute Regiment as a young man and when he left he joined Glasgow City Council starting as a Community Worker then a Social Work Welfare Rights Officer overturning Social Security legislation that punished the Homeless. As a mature student Collins overcame dyslexia to win a 1st class Honours degree in Philosophy & History at the University of Strathclyde. He had the common touch but held his own with many adversaries of the working classes.

Collins worked with an HIV charity called Body Positive. He worked for the Border Agency in Ibrox where he helped, refugees and asylum seekers.

Collins later worked with Citizens Advice Bureau then latterly for Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire & retired aged 65 in September 2015. Collins was also a prizewinning pipe band drummer and keen American Football player.

 He was the author of “The Duke of Queensberry and the Union of Scotland and England: James Douglas and the Act of Union of 1707”. As you can see he was a man of many talents, with wide and varied interests and a passion for social justice. 

He was a pleasure to know and a valued colleague at Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire and will be sadly missed by friends and colleagues alike and I’m sure you’ll join us at VANL with sending our love and thoughts to his wife Dorothy and his family.