Herald Scotland

I'm delighted to introduce the 2009 Herald Society awards. After the success of last year's inaugural event, we thought the number and quality of entries would be hard to match. In fact year's entries were impressive and inspiring and judges were handed another tough task to whittle them down to a shortlist.

It is, of course, a difficult time for the public and voluntary sectors alike.
Huge pressures on budgets are coinciding with increased need in many of the communities which need public services the most.

But that makes it more important than ever to celebrate the achievements of services such as health, social work, and education and the work of charities and community groups of all sizes.

The Herald Society awards were set up to share and reward success. As a result of coverage in The Herald's two weekly Society pages, we know some of the fantastic work and remarkable contribution made by workers in the public and voluntary sectors.

This is another way of promoting those efforts - often there simply isn't room to do justice to the range of excellent and innovative work we hear about.

The Herald Society awards 2009 are unique in Scotland - the only truly inclusive awards, open to all those working in the public and voluntary sectors, with scope for small and large organisations, individuals and teams alike to tell the nation about what they have achieved.

We recently announced the individuals and organisations shortlisted in 12 categories, chosen from hundreds of entries by a prestigious panel of judges. The candidates selected reflect the inspiring work carried out by organisations large and small from across Scotland. The shortlist also seeks to highlight individuals who the judges felt had gone the extra mile to deliver the best public services and make a difference to the lives of those who use them.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner taking place at Glasgow's Hilton Hotel on October 28th.

I hope to see you there.

Stephen Naysmith
Editor, Society

Title Sponsor – The Big Lottery Fund

"We are proud to be associated with and sponsoring the second Herald Society Awards. Last year's award ceremony was a humbling experience and the beauty of it was the simplicity of the message. The awards held a mirror up to us reflecting real commitment by those people who make a difference in communities across Scotland. Celebrating their achievements is extremely important and for last year's winners this was recognition that their efforts mattered.

This year the awards have a different importance. Our public context has changed so dramatically leading to trust in public servants and institutions being eroded. It is therefore perhaps more important than ever to shine a light on those people at the front end of public services who simply want to make a difference to the lives of others. This year I am pleased to say that the Big Lottery Fund is once again sponsoring the Unsung Heroes Award. I am also glad to see that a new category has been introduced which recognises the sterling work by local initiatives which are engaging meaningfully with communities on equality matters."

Dharmendra Kanani, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director

Categories & Sponsors >

Categories & Sponsors

Category One

Education Initiative of the Year

We are looking to recognise work with pre-school and school-age children in nurseries, schools and colleges which is innovative and inspiring, and which can demonstrate tangible benefits for learners.

Education Initiative - Shortlist Glasgow Caledonian University - Caledonian Club
John Wheatley College - Transitions to Learning and Work Programme
The Tullochan Trust''s Heads Up Project

Category Two

Community Project of the Year

This award is for initiatives which go beyond the ‘tick-box’ approach to community engagement. It will reward work which puts control in the hands of communities and enables ordinary people to take the lead in changing their local circumstances.

Community Project of the Year - Shortlist
Little Haven Community Care Centre
Starter Packs Glasgow
The Friends of Kings Park

Category Three

Health Provider of the Year

This category is open to initiatives in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, health boards, and any organisations working within the NHS. We want to recognise innovative work which can demonstrate impressive results whether that is in early intervention and preventative health care or improving the outcomes of medical care and treatment at a later stage.

Health Provider of the Year - Shortlist
Culture and Sport Glasgow – Active Health and Physical Activity Team
Renfrewshire Council - Family Matters Project
The Corner Young Peoples Health and Information Service – Successful Integrated Health Services

Category Four

Service Provider of the Year (working with under 24s)

Sponsored by ADSW

The award will go to a team or initiative working with young people in a post-school or out-of-school setting, which has achieved results that others haven’t managed, through unusually creative or imaginative approaches. You should provide evidence of what was different about the approach and what it has achieved.

Service Provider of the Year (Under 24s) - Shortlist
Action for Children, Youthbuild Programme
Central College
The Mungo Foundation

Category Five

Service Provider of the Year (working with 65+)

The award will go to a team or initiative working to improve the lives or lifestyles of older people which has achieved results that others haven’t managed, through unusually creative or imaginative approaches. You should provide evidence of what was different about the approach and what it has achieved.

Service Provider (Under 65’s) - Shortlist
Edinburgh Leisure – Aging Well
Good Morning Project – Good Morning Glasgow
The City of Edinburgh Council – Home Care Re-ablement Service

Category Six

Environmental Initiative of the Year

Responding to climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face and the public sector has to take a lead. This category will reward an initiative which goes beyond tokenism to deliver meaningful change in the public services on the climate agenda. Judges will be looking for evidence of impact and scalability.

Environmental Initiative - Shorlist
Coatbridge College – Coatbridge College Nursery, Greenhouse Project
City Building (Glasgow) LLP – Waste Handling Area
Viewforth Nursery – Bob the Builder Project

Category Seven

Campaign of the Year

Sponsored by EVH

We are seeking nominations for individuals or groups who have worked tirelessly to promote change in the public or voluntary sector: for example to improve services, widen access, reduce inequality. Judges will be looking for evidence of how communities sit at the heart of the campaign and what it has achieved.

Campaign of the Year - Shorlist

Babies on Buses – Babies on Buses
British Heart Foundation and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland - Scottish Campaign for Cardiac Rehabilitation

Category Eight

Collaboration Award

Sponsored by Improvement Service

With budgets under pressure as never before in the public and voluntary sectors, effective partnership working is more important than ever. This award will go to an outstanding example of collaboration in the public and/or voluntary sector. Entries should describe forward-looking collaborative work which can really demonstrate the benefits of such an approach for communities or service users.

Collaboration Award - Shortlist
Aberdeen College – Aberdeen College and Grampian Fire & Rescue
The Dundee Partnership – Employability Pipeline
North Lanarkshire Council – North Lanarkshire’s Working

Category Nine

Outstanding Public Service Worker of the Year

In this category we are seeking nominations for individuals whose outstanding drive and commitment has made a difference in improving the lives of people in Scotland. Judges will be looking for evidence of what has been achieved by the nominee and why they deserve special recognition.

Outstanding Public Service Worker of the Year - Shortlist
Caroline Connor
Jean Robertson

Category Ten

Outstanding Public Service Team of the Year

Sponsored by Unison Scotland

In this category we are seeking nominations for teams, departments or partnerships whose public service values, outstanding drive and commitment have made a difference in improving the lives of people in Scotland. Judges will be looking for evidence of what has been achieved by the nominees and why they deserve special recognition.

Outstanding Public Service Team of the Year
Fife Council, Social Work Service – Fife Employability Team
NHS Lothian - Multi- disciplinary Team (Ward 202)
NHS Lothian – Microbiology Service

Category Eleven

Equalities Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by Royal Mail

This award is to recognise and reward initiatives that go beyond the compliance with equalities duties and the internal plans now required of public bodies. Entries should highlight work within the public or voluntary sector which meaningfully engages with communities on equality matters and can demonstrate impact either in terms of improving the circumstances of people or supporting communities to support themselves to change their own circumstances for the better.

Equalities Award - Shortlist
Angus Council – Angus supported Employment
Donaldson’s – Transitions Project

Category Twelve

Unsung Hero Award

Sponsored by Big Lottery Fund

Too often we see people who work tirelessly, above the call of duty, who are magnets in their community but receive little recognition, even though initiatives would often fail without them. This award will be given to the individual who in the judges’ opinion best fits the definition of ‘unsung’ hero or heroine. Nominations can be for members of the community, or people working in the public or voluntary sector in Scotland. Your entry should explain their personal qualities, what they have achieved and why they deserve greater recognition.

Unsung Hero Award - Shortlist
Seamus Corry
Margaret Manning
Elizabeth Murphy

Awards Evening

The awards will be presented at a prestigious gala evening on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. Tables and places are available at event. For more information, please contact Alison Martin on 0141 302 7410 or alison.martin@heraldandtimes.co.uk