Awards joy for Dylan and Rob
Two young people from West Lothian have been named as winners in the prestigious Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2020.
The overall Young Scot Award 2020 and Environment Award was won by Dylan Hamilton (left) of Linlithgow.
The 16-year-old is part of the group of young people who established the Scottish Youth Climate Strike, key organisers of the September 2019 strike which was attended by more than 20,000 people.
And the Enterprise Award was won by Rob Scott-Branton (26) of Livingston.
Rob (right) runs Kids Gone Wild, which delivers weekly outdoor learning programmes for more than 700 children who are struggling in the school environment.
The finalists in the awards were praised by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
She said:“The work you’ve done is remarkable and whether your story is one of volunteering, excelling at a particular activity or campaigning on an important issue, you all deserve enormous credit.”
Two young people from West Lothian have been named as winners at the prestigious Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2020.
Rob Scott-Branton, of Livingston, won the Enterprise Award, and the overall Young Scot Award 2020 and Environment Award – sponsored by Standard Life Aberdeen– was won by Dylan Hamilton, of Linlithgow.
Rob ( 26) runs Kids Gone Wild, which delivers weekly outdoor learning programmes for more than 700 children who are struggling in the school environment.
Dylan (16) is part of the group of young people who established the Scottish Youth Climate Strike who were key organisers of the September 2019 strike – which was attended by more than 20,000 people.
Rob said: “Seeing the kids enjoying the outdoors at Kids Gone Wild is already so rewarding, and now to be recognised by Young Scot is just amazing.
“I think the success of our business is fuelled by the love of what we do, and I hope we can continue to make an impact on children’s lives.”
Dylan said: “The climate crisis is the single greatest threat to humanity, so it was obvious we had to do everything possible to stop it.
“A lot of hard work goes into the strikes, there have been many stressful meetings and difficult times balancing climate activism with our personal lives, so I’m really happy our efforts are being recognised on this scale.
“I hope this award raises more awareness of the climate crisis and helps bring more people out on the streets to demand a safe future for everyone.”
On Thursday, for the first time ever, the awards took place online on young.scot.
The thousands of guests who joined the virtual ceremony were entertained by performances from Scotland’s Be Charlotte and Intercultural Youth Scotland.
BBC presenter and DJ Gemma Cairney hosted the evening with celebrity presenters including River City’s Leah MacRae and Stephen Purdon.
Now in their 14th year, the awards showcase the incredible stories of inspiring young people across 13 categories.
This year’s winners join a prestigious rollcall of previous winners including actor Karen Gillan and YouTube star and make-up artists Jamie Genevieve, alongside world class athletes such as Sir Andy Murray and Olympian Laura Muir.
Louise Macdonald OBE, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “Scotland has so many incredible young people doing outstanding things to change lives in their communities and beyond every day.
“Congratulations to the winners, finalists and nominees who have shown dedication, passion and excellence in their achievements.
“In this tough year, it is amazing to hear their uplifting stories.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to each and every one of the finalists.
“The work you’ve done is remarkable and whether your story is one of volunteering, excelling at a particular activity or campaigning on an important issue, you all deserve enormous credit.
“The contributions you have made to your communities, both locally and nationally, is both inspiring and hugely appreciated.”
Award host Gemma Cairney said: “I was thrilled to host the first- ever online Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards. It was an unforgettable experience.”
Lorna Hughes, editor of the Sunday Mail said: “The awards bring forward the best and brightest of Scotland’s young people and this year was no exception.
“We’re absolutely blown away by their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to our nation.”
For fur ther informat i o n v i s i t youngscotawards.com.
In this tough year, it is amazing to hear their uplifting stories