Awards celebrate very best work in the public and voluntary sectors
THE Herald Society Awards are all about celebrating the best of the public and voluntary sector, as well as individuals and communities who are making a difference to those around them.
Entries for this year’s awards are flooding in and there is still time to nominate the team or person you think should be recognised for successful, imaginative or otherwise exceptional work.
However the clock is ticking and entries close on Thursday, September 24. We are still looking for more entries on behalf of the individuals and teams behind new ideas and successes in fields such as health, education and campaigning.
We want to know about the best work being done with younger and older people. Vincent McKay, Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, who are supporting the Older People’s Project of the Year category, said: “If your organisation is doing something special in this area, the Herald Society Awards is a unique opportunity to share your story and inspire others to get involved.”
Meanwhile YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work, are supporting the Young Person’s Project of the Year. CEO Jim Sweeney said: “I would encourage as many people as possible to nominate those incredible projects and individuals whose commitment and vision really does change young people’s lives for the better.”
We are also looking for the best examples of integrating health and social care, an award sponsored by Social Work Scotland. Jane Devine, SWS business manager, said. “We have sponsored the Herald Society Awards for a number of years now as we recognise it as a great way to raise the profile of social work and the profile of the benefits of integrated working.”
We also want to know about your team of the year and individual worker of the year while EVH are sponsoring an award for the person who best fits the title of “unsung hero”. Eamonn Connolly, director of EVH – Supporting Social Employers, said: “Society is about people and their role in the self improvement of their own part of it. Supporting these awards lets us do our bit too. If you can, you should.”
We are also looking for the best community project, partnership working and the year’s most impressive social enterprise in an award sponsored by Firstport.
Karen McGregor, Firstport chief executive, said: “This award is a great opportunity for social entrepreneurs across Scotland to showcase the benefits they are bringing to communities.”
Finally, the newest award is our award for the best example of a positive legacy from Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, sponsored by Legacy 2014. Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “By entering the Herald Society Awards and showing how your organisation is keeping the legacy of the Commonwealth Games alive, you can inspire others to get involved, help bring communities together and get Scotland more active.”
All the awards will be judged by an expert panel and the awards will be presented at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza hotel on November 4. You can see more details of the award categories and enter online at http://herald-events.com/societyawards, where you will also find details on how to attend the awards night dinner. For more information contact Lynn Kelly on 0141 302 7410 or lynn.kelly@heraldandtimes.co.uk.