City awards to celebrate what makes Glasgow great

Councillor Frank McAveety, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: "There’s never been a more exciting time to be in Glasgow.

"Bursting with life, energy, passion and personality, we’re undoubtedly Scotland’s creative, cultural and economic capital.

"Glasgow is ambitious, inventive, entrepreneurial and welcoming because our people and businesses are – which is why we’re delighted to be continuing our support for The Herald and Chamber of Commerce’s Inspiring City Awards for the fourth consecutive year.

"These awards provide the perfect platform through which to recognise those outstanding individuals and organisations that are positively shaping the cultural and economic fabric of the city for both today and tomorrow’s generations."

Glasgow has a long and distinguished history of innovators, pioneers and traders who have made their mark on the world stage and the Inspiring City Awards offer recognition to those who are continuing that history today.

Previous award winners have included Glasgow Film Festival for its platform showcasing the best of international and Scottish cinema, as well as Celtic Connections for the impact the festival has had on the city, bringing in more than 2000 musicians from all over the world annually.

Magnus Llewellin, editor-in-chief of The Herald, said: "The Inspiring City Awards go from strength to strength and The Herald is delighted and proud to be hosting them with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce once again this year.

"Anyone who has attended the awards will know they are great fun and a fantastic opportunity to celebrate what is best about Glasgow.

"The people of Glasgow have a fantastic story to tell about themselves and the city and I am sure this will again be reflected in the nominations."

Working with an array of event partners, including AHR, amiExecutive, Glasgow 2018 European Championship, Glasgow Airport, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow Taxis, Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow, Loretto Care part of Wheatley Group, The Watson Foundation and Virgin Trains, the awards will reward those who have gone beyond the call of duty over the past year to encourage, mentor and support investment and growth in Glasgow.

Entries will be invited into 12 categories, including business, education, arts, culture and sport.

There will also be a new Care Award introduced this year, sponsored by Loretto Care, part of the Wheatley Group, which will recognise a special care worker or team, or someone who looks after a relative, neighbour or friend, providing care and support to them or within their local community.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "Two of the city’s longest-lived institutions are again joining forces with the city’s award-winning PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW brand to celebrate the people and organisations which contribute freely to the culture and economy of the city - to the benefit of all citizens.

"With these awards, the partnership of the Chamber and The Herald is providing a high-profile platform to reinforce this commitment, and we look forward to being overwhelmed by nominations."

Loretto Care Chair James Muir said: “Loretto Care, part of Wheatley Group, is proud to support the carer of the year category at this year’s Inspiring City awards. As one of Scotland’s leading care organisations, we know how many care staff there are in Glasgow who go the extra mile, every day, to help people who need extra support in life.

"And there are many more people, in communities across the city, who dedicate their lives to caring for a relative or friend. These carers are a lifeline that can make a significant difference to people’s quality of life and they play a huge part in making this city special.

"We are pleased to be part of an initiative that publicly acknowledges the great work being done by carers, much of it unseen, and being part of a celebration that gives people the recognition they richly deserve.”

John M Watson OBE who set up The Watson Foundation praised the Inspiring City Awards 2016 saying they "represent all that is great about the people and organisations in our wonderful city."

John added: "We are particularly pleased to be working with The Herald and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. It is a great opportunity to celebrate and reward those who love Glasgow and help it to flourish."

Richard Blair, Director, AHR, said: “AHR Architects are proud to sponsor the Inspiring City Awards. The event and the awards really capture the spirit Glasgow as a city moving forward. We are delighted to work in the city and to be a supporter”.

Professor Toni Hilton, Dean of Glasgow School for Business and Society at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), praised the "high-class" awards, saying: "We are delighted to support these awards which highlight the world-class performance of companies and organisations within the city. We are particularly proud to sponsor an award that promotes and recognises positive economic and social impact of those activities and achievements."

Stephen Flynn, Vice Chairman of Glasgow Taxis Ltd, said: "The Inspiring City Awards have become an integral part of Glasgow's events calendar. It’s a night which rewards the most dedicated organisations and individuals who represent all that is great about this city. Glasgow Taxis Ltd continues to be a strong supporter of the event and we’re sure it will be another brilliant night of celebration in September.”

Angela Morrison, owner and founder of previous winner amiExecutive, said: "It was such an honour winning an award at the 2015 Inspiring City Awards – we enjoyed the night very much, but more than that, the support we received from the Glasgow business community was just fantastic. We are delighted to be back this year as a sponsor and very much look forward to presenting this award to the lucky winner. We wish all entrants the best of luck!"

Anna Doran, Virgin Trains’ General Manager for Anglo-Scottish services on the west coast route, said: “We’re delighted to continue our involvement with the Inspiring City Awards, which every year help to remind us of the many people who make Glasgow such a fantastic city. We look forward to seeing another strong list of candidates.”

The event is a "fantastic celebration" said Colin Hartley, Director, Glasgow 2018 European Championships. He said: "The Inspiring City Awards are a fantastic celebration of all that is good about our great city. They take place during a golden era of sport with Glasgow having moved into the world's top five sporting cities and will showcase the very best our city has to offer in terms of sport."

Alison McRae, Projects Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow is proud to be associated with the Inspiring City Awards. We are delighted to be involved in this celebration of the individuals and organisations that make Glasgow such a special place to live and work. The support from the business community since launching Developing the Young Workforce has been outstanding and shows the commitment to supporting youth employment. The opportunity to recognise that hard work and enthusiasm is what makes the ICAs special."

Amanda McMillan, chief executive of AGS Airports Ltd and managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “The Herald and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce have made an enormous contribution to Glasgow and we are proud to be associated with the Inspiring City Awards during what is the airport’s 50th anniversary year. We all have a role to play in creating the right image for our city and these awards are a fantastic way to recognise those have helped further enhance Glasgow’s reputation.”

Entrants have until July 28 to submit their online applications.

Entry is free and all categories are open to individuals, businesses and third sector organisations.

Visit http://herald-events.com/inspiringcity/ to submit an entry, or for more information please contact Lyndsay Wilson on 0141 302 7407.