Herald Scotland

WELCOME

Stephen Naysmith
Editor, The Herald Society

I’m delighted to be launching the Herald Society Awards 2010. This is the third year we have run the awards and each year it seems more important than ever to champion the huge benefits the public sector and voluntary sector provide to Scotland, and the huge value.

While talk of cuts and pressure on the public purse is ever present, it is worth remembering just how much the public sector contributes to the lives of every single person in this nation - nearly all of us use public services every day, often without noticing.

From roads, public transport and water to schools and protection at work, waste disposal and recycling to environmental health and consumer protection, elderly care to child care and of course the national health and the state education system, the services provided in both the public and charitable sectors are invaluable.

And it is worth remembering how much value and efficiency the public sector already delivers. After election pledges to cut back on ‘waste’, the price of private education and private health care alone should remind us not to exaggerate the idea that public services are excessively costly.

That is why we set up the Herald Society awards - to celebrate and recognise the achievements, innovations, great partnership working and dedicated staff working every day to improve the lives of ordinary Scots.

They remain the only awards in Scotland to celebrate every aspect of the public and voluntary sectors, open to schools and nurses, fire crews and charities, social workers and volunteers, while recognising both collaborative work and individual achievement.

We’re proud of Scotland’s public sector and we’re proud of our awards. They are yours as much as ours though, and I’d urge everyone who thinks they’ve got something to shout about to enter. A prestigious panel of judges will select the best entries in each of the categories and we’ll be announcing the winners at an evening awards ceremony in October. I hope to see you there.

WELCOME

Dharmendra Kanani
Director, Big Lottery Fund

The Herald Society Awards has become a landmark in the annual Scottish calendar for the Voluntary, Community and Public Service sectors. They recognise excellence, innovation and commitment by celebrating the people behind Scotland’s vital front line services. That’s why the Big Lottery Fund is proud to support these unique awards as the main sponsor in this their 3rd year.

Last year the judges were impressed with the scale, success and achievements of the entrants. The challenge of choosing outstanding candidates was difficult. This year the competition will be just as thought provoking and will reveal the effort, determination and commitment of the individuals who bring public service to life.

The Big Lottery Fund is sponsoring the Unsung Hero Award. We’re looking for nominations for local champions, those individuals without whom projects simply would not shine. These are the people whose personal commitment to a project is often the difference between success and failure, the people who reflect what their local community needs, have the ear of the wider population and often have the personal drive and vigour to make a difference across the board.

It’s ever more important to celebrate and recognise Public service at a time when we all need to do more with less and at a time when levels of trust in our public institutions could be better. That’s why the Herald Society Awards are vital in recognising the commitment, spirit and resilience shown by those who work tirelessly to deliver services to communities across Scotland.