Awards and inspiration

Social affairs correspondent

Friday 6 July 2012

This November, in association with the Big Lottery Fund, we will present the fifth annual Herald Society Awards and Ideas Exchange.

INSPIRATION: Last year's keynote speaker at the awards and ideas exchange, Jim Diers, of Seattle's Department of Neighbourhoods, left those in attendance with a lot to think about. Picture: Kirsty Anderson

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Giving credit to those who serve us all. By Stephen Naysmith

When we launched the awards in 2008, our intention was to recognise the dedication, the imagination and more importantly the vital impact of some of the best work taking place in the public and voluntary sector.

We felt that no other awards covered the full range of work by teams and individuals across the country in fields such as health, education, social services and charities. With limited space in The Herald's twice-weekly Society page, we also saw the need for a new forum to recognise the vital contribution these groups make to the wellbeing of Scotland as a whole.Back then we delivered the inaugural awards in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund and five years on we are still working with them to celebrate excellence and reward innovation.The format has changed. Last year we introduced our first Ideas Exchange, to give participants the opportunity to discover and examine new strategies from leading thinkers, opening up an exchange of ideas between speakers, panel members and attendees.The keynote speech from social reformer Jim Diers, of Seattle's Department of Neighbourhoods, was one of the highlights of the day, delivering a strong message that public services must empower local communities if change is to be real. "Focus on what people need and they will always be clients, but focus on their strengths and they become citizens of a community", he said, as part of an inspiring presentation of his groundbreaking work.This year's event will feature another leading international speaker and will showcase former Herald Society Award winners talking about their pioneering work and how it has developed since we last heard from them.Jackie Killeen, Scotland Director of the Big Lottery Fund, said of the event: "The Big Lottery Fund is again delighted to be working in partnership with The Herald for 2012's Herald Society Awards and Ideas Exchange. "Now in their fifth year, these awards are able to showcase the best of Scotland's voluntary, community and public sectors."The Ideas Exchange conference offers groups from across the country the chance to come together with a common purpose and learn more from each other while the awards are a celebration and recognition of those who are undertaking some of the most effective or pioneering practice in their work."In these difficult times learning from one another and sharing new or proven approaches can make all the difference to groups and organisations, no matter if they are a small voluntary project or a large public sector employer. That's what the Herald Society Awards and Ideas Exchange is all about."While the format has changed, the importance of learning from, and celebrating achievements in the public and voluntary sector seems to grow with every successive year.This year's event will do that, but will also allow delegates to explore themes such as using the assets of Scottish communities to bring about change. The programme will include success stories from previous winners and inspiring examples of fresh thinking from this year's contenders, giving local authorities, health providers, charities and voluntary organisations the opportunity to learn from the latest strategies and best practice in related sectors or quite different ones. At the end of the day, we believe those taking part will go away with new ways of thinking about delivering services, having gained new skills and made new connections. Today we open up nominations for this year's award, in 12 categories covering all aspects of work in the public and voluntary sector.If you are doing something special, which should be recognised or shared with your sector and others with which you work, let us know. The Ideas Exchange will culminate with the presentation of the Herald Society Awards. More details of the programme, judges and speakers will be revealed in these pages in the weeks ahead. We hope to see you there.

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